Unspoken Love
by disneyqueen
Summary: Melissa Wu has always been different. Isolating herself from her peers for a problem she can't fix, she tries to keep to herself, few people understand her. Can a crash on a deserted island and a new student change all that and help her be understood?
1. Chapter 1

**Here's a new story for Flight 29 Down. Not adding a character,(that gets old) but changing the dynamics of the group by adding a twist to Melissa's character, while their own the island. I own nothing, but the spin on the I know for a fact that this has not been done before. I hope you enjoy. **

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All the other students were enjoying themselves; it almost didn't seem possible that they belonged to the same class. Melissa Wu slid further down in her seat, her noise stuck in another book. An open notebook lay on her lap, discarded at the moment. Shouts of frustration and laughter surrounded her, but she tried to ignore it. Brushing her dark bangs out of her eyes, she sighed as her eyes drifted over towards the window. Dark clouds something was wrong. A shiver crawled down her spine as she tightened her jacket around herself.

"What you got there, Melissa?" Eric McGorrill asked, plucking the book from her hands.

Quickly, he darted out into the aisle and headed towards the back of the plane. Melissa bit her lip and shook her head in frustration as she unbuckled her seat belt. A firm hand slid onto her arm with a small squeeze as she turned to face her friend, Nathan. Her soft brown eyes searched his face for an answer as she sat back down.

Patting her arm, he said, "I'll get it, Mel."

Without another word, he jumped up from his seat and followed Eric. The blonde boy laughed softly as Nathan approached; his eyes focused on the young Asian girl behind Nathan. He dangled book from his hand playfully as he leaned over the last two empty rows of the plane. Eric's voice trailed over the other swarms of laughter from the other students.

"Hey, Melissa, why don't you come and ask for it yourself?"

Nathan grabbed the book back and tossed the other boy a stern look. A joke was one thing, but that was just harsh. Turning around, he headed back and handed the paperback book to his friend. Her hands shook as the book slid back into her palms; a page torn at the upper right hand corner. Silently, she resumed her reading tossing her friend a short nod of gratitude. From the corner of her eye, she saw Taylor Hagan staring at her in confusion. Against the gray clouds, her blonde hair shone like the sun, but Melissa lowered her gaze back to her book.

Blowing a low whistle, Taylor asked, "You never got my books, Nathan."

"Your books were never stolen, Taylor," Nathan pointed out.

"No wonder I broke up with you," she retorted.

As the mindless bickering continued, Melissa tried to lose herself in the world of her book. The words seemed to blur together as her mind shifted off to other things. She still couldn't believe her parents had forced her to go on the trip. Their words still echoed in her mind, but were tossed out as lighting flashed outside the window. Panic and terror filled each face of the students as the plane began to lean towards the right and then to the left.

"Buckle up now!" the pilot's voice called over the loud speaker.

Everyone gripped their armrests until their knuckles turned white, but Melissa gulped as her notebook slid off the table and slid back down towards the end of the plane. She almost jumped up to follow it, but Nathan gripped her wrist and shook his head. Lighting flashed once more as screams tore through the plane. In the back, the new student, Jackson saw the others scream out loud except for the Asian girl. She sat perfectly still and silent, like him.

A loud bump, a flash of lighting and a loud crash and everything fell still. Gradually, people began to move calling out names and checking to see if people were all right. Still Melissa said nothing. Nathan touched her arm and she nodded to him, but nothing else. It was almost like she was in shock.

"Where are we?" Nathan asked as the pilot opened the door.

Captain Russell shrugged halfheartedly; sweat dripping down his face as he tried to calm himself. Daley Martian moved up front and stared between Nathan and the captain.

"Where are we?" she asked almost impatiently.

Nathan shrugged as the captain turned a knob into the small room. Behind the three, the other students were getting restless and began to unbuckle; all the windows fogged up from a strange mist. Bit by bit, Nathan pushed against the door of the plane; his eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness.

"Oh man," he whispered as he stepped out onto a long, empty beach.

In a single file, the students left the plane and crowded around the plane. When Jackson stood up, something fell against his foot, a notebook. Folded line paper propped up on his foot before he picked it up. The caress covered almost half a page before he flipped it up. Half sentences, single words, and little footnotes were written, almost like a one sided conversation. Rolling his eyes, he closed it and joined the rest of the class outside on the beach. A gentle breeze drifted past him as he breathed in the salt air; sunlight dancing on the vast blue ocean to his right.

"Well time for a swim," Eric said, tossing his sneakers off.

Taylor followed his lead and soon the two were playing a game of water tag. Nathan and Daley rolled their eyes and split up with the child, Lex, trailing behind the redhead. Silently, Jackson watched the other remaining students wonder off on their own towards the jungle. He stared after them for a moment; the trees offering welcoming shade as he pulled up the hood of his gray sweater.

"What's that, kid?" the captain asked from behind him.

Turning around, Jackson saw the pilot gesturing to the notebook with a puzzled look on his face. Jackson glanced down at it and saw the bright blue cover of a typical hard covered journal. In the center was printed the name, Melissa Wu, in a black sharpie pen. Captain Russell didn't wait for the kid to respond and quickly ducked back into the plane.

Melissa, the name rolled over in his mind. She was a student, but she hadn't gone off in any of the other groups. His sharp blue gaze drifted over and down the beach and rested on a lone figure with black hair. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to her. When he reached her, he cleared his throat and held out the notebook.

"Is this yours?" he asked.

For a moment, it seemed like she didn't hear him; her gaze fixed on the vast ocean in front of them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the notebook being held out to her. Almost at once, she grabbed it and hugged it to her chest; her eyes drifting up for a moment to stare at the young man. The two stared at each other for a moment before she looked away and flipped the book open. A pencil clenched into her hands as she scribed something down on anew sheet of paper.

Jackson watched her for a few seconds and began to walk off. Melissa glanced up and folded the notebook on the cease and she followed him. The boy didn't even say anything as he turned around and stared at her; his eyes narrowing in slits. Ignoring that, she held out the notebook towards him. His eyebrows rose for a second as he read the message. On the top of the page in the right hand corner were two simple words; thank you.

Jackson glanced between the words, back at the girl, and back at the words. Shrugging he muttered, "Welcome."

Melissa smiled softly, but hurried away back towards the plane.

"And I thought I had problems," he muttered as he watched the girl travel down the beach. Without another thought, he turned and headed into the jungle. Popping the earphones back into his ears, he allowed the music to take him away.

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**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I know kind of boring, but I promise it will get better. Please review with as_ much detail as possible_. Thanks. More will becoming soon. **


	2. Day 1 part 2

**Here's the next chapter of the story. I own NOTHING, but the plot twist. I want to give a huge thanks to my BETA for helping so much with this chapter, thanks. And from now on, since Mel is silent, the story will be told through her eyes. I hope you enjoy. **

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The plane sits motionless in the sand. Waves break against the bright gray metal at its base. Captain Russell, Abby, Ian, and Jory had left about an hour ago to explore the island. I sigh and look over at the plane again. Already, I see some of the camping gear spread across the beach as Daley takes inventory. Dark blue containers contrast with the white sand. I shudder; everything is so messed up. My notebook presses down alongside the buttons on my dull brown and red striped jacket. Turning to my right, I see Eric and Taylor playing in the water, only going as deep as their knees into the ocean. Small screams of delight fill my ears as Taylor runs down the beach to get away from the blonde boy.

I sigh and sit down on the ground. Would they always be such children? It doesn't seem like they know any other way. A gentle breeze blows against my face while the strong scent of salt air fills my nose. In spite of the distant screams, everything seems peaceful. I lean back and lay in the sand, allowing the heat of the sun to warm me. Suddenly, a shadow blocks the sun and I see red curls hanging over my face. Batting them away, I sit up, while my notebook slides off my lap onto the sand. Daley brushes her hair back behind her shoulder and hands me a hat.

"Here, Melissa, you need to keep your head covered," she says.

I look at her for a moment and then take it, giving her a small smile. She returns the gesture, but quickly turns and runs back into the plane. I bite my lip, stand up, and brush myself off. Picking up my notebook, I head over to the plane and knock lightly on the open door. Blue eyes snap around to look at me before Daley picks up even more stuff.

"Something wrong, Melissa?" she asks, a motherly tone evident in her voice.

My shoulders lower slightly as she continues to stare at me. Why did everyone have to act like I was a child? Even Nathan acted as more of a father to me than a real friend. But then, who wants to be a friend with someone who can't answer them back? Automatically, my grip around my notebook tightens, before I duck and enter the plane. Daley moves forward and pushes me back out. I stumble and fall onto my back, landing on three backpacks

. "It's too tight in there for more than one person at a time," she explains, placing two sleeping bags on the ground.

Pushing myself up, I nod and lay my notebook down on one of the containers. For about two minutes, we work in silence before Daley begins to talk.

"You know with the captain gone, we need to start setting up camp. And we need a leader. I mean look at what the captain did to us. It just seems so stupid. We don't know how long we're gonna be here, so we need a real leader and I think it should be me. What do you think?" she asks, pausing in her small rant.

I glance over at her and then lower my eyes back onto the new item in my hand, a clear box with a dark blue cover. Pulling it away from her, I place the container on the ground, averting my eyes. I remember the school election. Nathan and Daley had been at each other's throats to try and win the spot of class president and there was no doubt that Nathan would want to be leader here, too. Suddenly, a hand yanked on my shoulder and spun me around.

"Melissa, do I have your support or not?" Daley asks, her large blue eyes searching my face for any type answer.

Again, I avert my eyes, trying not to look at her, and her grip tightens on my shoulder. Slowly, she lets go and begins to head back into the plane, but pauses at the door, her head turned to the right. "Hey, Lex. Good, we can use some more help."

The young brown haired boy stares at Daley. "Yeah, but Day, there's…"

"You can help Melissa sort out stuff," Daley says before ducking out of view.

Lex turns to me and sighs in frustration. His shoulders slump in defeat as his gaze drifts back out to the ocean. Even from the small glimpse, I see concern and fear etched on his face. His legs are shaking the tiniest bit. Something is really bothering him and Daley just brushed him off. I walk over to him and lay my hand on his shoulder. He turns to me curiously and stares up at me with large brown eyes, waiting. Waiting for me to say something.

I bite my tongue and hurry back and grab my book and pencil. Flipping to a new page, I can feel Lex's eyes boring into me and then turn away again. The pencil rubs against my calloused knuckle as I write down my question; the words carefully printed on the line after years of practice. I tap Lex on the shoulder and point with my pencil at the message on the almost blank page. _What's wrong? _I ask.

For a moment, Lex doesn't answer; his eyes glancing back and forth from the message, to me, and back to the page. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at him, but only surprise shows on his face. Taking a deep breath, he gestures to the plane then to the ocean.

"Okay, look, the plane is like our life boat with a lot of things we can use to help us, but the tide's coming in," he pauses and looks over at me.

I half nod in understanding and look over at Daley. She is still too absorbed in unpacking. A shiver runs down my spine as the breeze picks up around us. Glancing in all directions, I try to find someone to help.

Lex sighs next to me and says, "Never mind, don't listen."

I touch his shoulder and nod. He looks at me and gives me a small smile of encouragement…to speak. My breath catches in my throat and I shake my head, lowering my eyes onto the ground.

Suddenly, Daley yells out of the plane. "Eric, you can't take that! We need to ration it!"

I turn and see Eric standing beside the food container. As the two begin to bicker, I see the new kid plucking another package of dry food and darting behind the plane. Daley spins around and chases after him. Lex and I exchange glances and follow them quickly. Maybe Daley will finally listen to what he has to tell her. Behind me, I hear Eric and Taylor talking about food, but I ignore them. To my right, I see Nathan coming up toward the group. Lex tries to get their attention, but everyone ignores him.

Daley runs in front of Taylor saying, "No, we need to ration the food."

"She's right, guys," Nathan supports, but Daley turns on him and shakes her head, at the number of people suddenly surrounding her.

"I don't need back up, Nathan," she says.

Soon everyone is talking at once; their voices overlapping each other. Once again, I fade away from the group as though I'm invisible; my notebook pressed tightly against my chest. No one is listening to anyone else and I feel like a clock is ticking away. My eyes drift over to the ocean. The waves are steadily rising. Lex wasn't kidding, the tide is coming in. I tap Nathan on the shoulder, but he just brushes me off, still locked in the heated debate circling the group. Suddenly, a large spear crashes into the middle of the circle, silencing everyone. The new student watches everyone carefully; his hand still gripping onto the spear. He is wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. His hair is a dirty blonde/ brownish shade, but his eyes are hidden beneath the hood. His fierce expression softens slightly as he turns to look at Lex.

Clearing his throat, he says, "Lex, has something to say."

Eric's voice is somewhere between a laugh and pure shock. "You…you just spoke. Yet another twist in the story." His gaze drifts over to me, "What about you, Melissa? In the mood to talk?"

I glare at him, but then lower my eyes; my notebook still pressed firmly against my chest. None of them had any right to mock me. I feel my heart tighten as his words echo in my mind, but then Lex starts talking.

"Look, you know that the plane is like our life raft with first aid kits and other things we need to stay alive…"

"What's the point?" Daley asks, wrapping her arm around him.

"The tide's coming in and if it does the plane will…"

"The plane will float away with everything we need to stay alive," Nathan confirms, once more interrupting Lex.

I glare at Nathan for a second. Why can't people ever let others finish their sentences? For a moment, my eyes trail back out onto the enormous ocean. Sunlight glitters upon the water, blocking out the damage it can do. The ocean is a tricky thing: two extremes, calm and peaceful or violent and destructive. I take a deep breath and feel someone pull at my arm.

"Come on, Melissa," Daley calls, tugging my arm.

I blink and nod quickly as we dash around back towards the front of the plane. Daley is already barking out orders at us. I go to stand outside the plane like earlier, but Daley shoves me forward. I trip and fall onto my hands and knees in the plane as Daley steps over me. My notebook slams down onto the ground while the pencil rolls away down the aisle.

"Hurry!" Daley barks at me, pulling at my arm until I am standing.

My head brushes against the roof while my feet shuffle through the packed plane. I glance over my shoulder and see Taylor standing outside with a simple magazine in her hands. Shaking my head, I grab some stuff to my right and carry it out. Time seems to rush by, with each second ticking away while the water rises along the base of the plane.

From my left, I hear Lex saying, "These vines aren't strong enough."

I look over as he snaps one of the vines like a stale cracker. Dropping the three backpacks on the ground, I run over and look at the pile of vines wrapped around each other. Everyone looks at me, but I ignore them as I take three of the vines from Lex.

"Melissa, not now," Nathan says, trying to grab them back, but I shift away; my eyes locked on the vines. I begin to lay them over each other, twisting them together in a braid. Again, Nathan tries to grab the vines back, but the new student stops him.

From the corner of my eye, I see Nathan looking at me confused, but the new boy says, "By braiding them, it makes the vines stronger."

I pause for just a second. Why would a guy know what braiding can do? Shaking my head, I return to my work; there's no time to waste thinking about that. Footsteps come up behind me and I see Taylor. She's watching me closely and rolls her eyes.

"What's the big deal? I've been braiding since I was three," she says, unimpressed at my braiding skills. Nathan holds out another group of vines to her with a challenging smile.

"You're on," he says.

Working as a team, we make three chains that we attach to the nose of the plane: a rope we found in the plane and two chains of braided vine. The waves break against the steel with such force that it echoes in my ears like thunder. All seven of us are ready to pull, but Lex instructs us to wait for something. His words seem to fall on deaf ears as Taylor yelps in pain from the vines. I grimace; she voices my pain aloud. The rope cuts into my palms; burns form on my hands as my grip tightens in anticipation, and the rope digs deeper into my bare skin.

Suddenly, I hear Lex cry out, "Now!"

It seems impossible at first; the plane must weigh at least ten or twenty tons. The waves roar in my ears as I take one step back and then another, pulling the rope. Veins throb against my skin as my nails cut into my palms. Another step and another. I can't seem to breathe. My arms feel like they're almost being pulled out of their sockets. My vision is cloudy; everything else blurry and out of focus, except the remaining distance. Just one more step, just one more, the words repeat over and over again in my mind.

From behind me, I feel the rope drop and the tension release while cheers soar up around me. Everyone is hugging and slapping high fives, but my arms are too sore to raise from my sides. Nathan hugs me, but my own body stiffens from the pain. Pulling away, he sends me a small smile. Inwardly, I grimace as I don't return the favor; all my muscles ache too much. I sink down right where I am and lay back on the grassy sand. Someone pokes me and I turn to see Lex hovering over me, something in his hand.

"This yours?" he asks, holding out a notebook and a pencil.

I want to laugh and curse at the same time. Damn that book, I keep losing it. Note to self: glue notebook to arm. I take it and pat his arm slowly. After a few minutes, I manage to sit up; the notebook open in front of me. Only now do I see that it's a new one, a fresh one. Another hardcover notebook with a dark green cover lies on my lap and the spine creaks as I open it. The whole book is completely blank, waiting for me to fill it. Tapping the eraser against my lip, I look out at the large, empty ocean, then to the plane, and finally to the other kids around me. Maybe, just maybe, we can make it through this until rescue comes.

I take a deep breath and begin to write. After I finish the entry, I label the bottom in the right hand corner, End of Day 1.

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**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it's a lot like the show, but just sit tight, it'll change up after Day 2 "Quest for Fire". So please stay with me. Agins I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review with as much detail as possble. Thanks and more coming soon. **


	3. Day 2

**Here's the next chapter. I own NOTHING, but the plot twist. Thanks again to my wonderful BETA and I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

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Everything is dark while voices surround me on all sides talking in hushed tones. Their voices are filled with sorrow, but I can't comprehend the actual words. My throat feels like it's burning. I claw at the air to find something to hold onto. Yet, everything slips out of my reach and dissolves into the darkness. I curse out loud and pause. A small voice circles around me, mocking me. Shaking my head, I try to find a way out of this dark void. Fear prickles down my back as another voice calls out my name.

Turning in that direction, I open my mouth to call back, but no words escape my lips. My body's shaking while another voice keeps calling out my name. I blink as grass blows against the left side of my face. A gentle breeze passes over the right side of my face as I roll over onto my back. Brown eyes stare down at me from beneath a dark blue baseball cap, blocking out the sun. I squint up at him in confusion. Lex watches me closely; his eyes scanning every inch of my body, reading me. Sitting up, I avert my eyes from him.

"You looked like you were having a nightmare," he says, placing a calming hand on my knee.

I glance down at it and then back up at him. He is watching me again. Once more, I shift my eyes away and pick up my new diary and notebook, brushing off the dirt. Beside them, the pencil lies in the grass.

Picking it up, I stare at the dull tip and sigh.

"What's wrong?" Lex asks.

I bite my lip and stand up, brushing myself off. No one else is around; everything is silent and still. Looking back over at the kid, I scribble a question onto the page. With each letter the writing becomes fainter, until it's almost invisible. Holding it out to him, I ask, _Where is everyone?_

Lex shrugs and says, "Around. Daley's looking for a camp site with the new kid…um, Jackson, and Nathan's getting firewood."

I nod, but jot another question down. Lex watches me patiently and sits down on the ground. Crouching down next to him, I hand him the notebook. _What are you doing here? I mean, with me?_

Lex shrugs again. "Nathan told me to keep an eye on you," he says, now averting _his_ eyes.

I grit my teeth as my fingers curl into fists. How dare Nathan treat me like a child and give me a care taker! Who the hell did he think he was, my father? From the corner of my eye, I see Lex shrink away from me; his eyes wide with both surprise and concern.

Slowly, he reaches out his hand and asks, "What's wrong?"

I shake my head, tapping the eraser against the page.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks gingerly.

I give him a 'thumbs up' and close the book with a snap as I look down both stretches of the beach. It seems even more deserted than normal and I shudder. Suddenly, I hear footsteps coming up behind me. Turning around, I see Nathan walking toward us with a pile of sticks in his arms. Lex and I exchange glances, but Nathan barely looks at us. His eyes are locked onto the ground, searching for more wood. Standing up, I cross my arms over my chest, just waiting for him to spot us.

"Hey, Nathan, did you get the fire started?" Lex asks.

Nathan shakes head. "Nope, and there weren't any matches in the camping gear and the wood I have is wet. So, I need to find dryer timber."

Lex and I both nod. Peering over at Lex I gesture for him to leave. For a moment he just looks at me, but then walks over to the plane. Nathan glances up and gives me a small smile. "Hey, Mel, did you have a good nap?" he asks, picking up another stick.

I glare at him and for a moment he is taken aback. He looks over to where Lex went and back at me; confusion etched on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asks, taking a step closer to me.

I glare at him; my frustration is boiling just below the surface. My grip tightens around the notebook, but my hand shakes too much to write down anything. Man, he makes me so frustrated! Suddenly, a hand cups my chin and he raises my head until our eyes are lock. I frown at him.

"Hey, come on, don't be like that. I thought you deserved a nap after helping us drag the plane up here," Nathan says, placing a hand on my shoulder.

Again, I pull away and quickly turn and walk down the beach, ignoring his calls. My shoes shuffle through the warm gold sand down near the water. Sunlight dances upon the ocean while the wind blows against my back. Closing my eyes, the breaking waves seem to hum a little lullaby along the shore. I take a deep breath and allow the scent of salt water to fill me up. The beach has always calmed me even as a child, with the waves taking my worries away with them as they recede back into the deep water.

Shaking my head, I sigh as my fingers gingerly run along my throat. I shudder as my nightmare begins to surface again. Tightening my grip on my jacket, I sigh deeply. Nathan is just so annoying at times and at one point I considered him a real, true friend. But after…I shake my head. It's pointless to think of it now. Suddenly, I hear footsteps running toward me. I turn around and sidestep out of Daley's way as she runs into the water.

Glancing back to the jungle, I see the new guy, Jackson, gradually coming down from the trees. He's wearing a plain gray t-shirt and the same dark pants with his arms crossed over his chest. Using my left hand, I point to Daley and then twist my palm up toward me and shrug; my eyes lock on him.

Jackson glances over at me, but missed the question. I roll my eyes. Man, people are annoying. The diary slips from my hands as I quickly flipped my notebook open, jotting a question down. Each letter is slanted and huge while I try to keep my left hand steady. With every word, the letters become fainter. Cursing inwardly, I hold out the page for him to read, but he doesn't even look at me. His eyes are fixed on Daley splashing around in the water.

She's shrieking like a banshee as she continues to throw water on her legs. I glance over at Jackson again and his gaze meets mine, blue and brown eyes locking together. Those steely blue eyes seem to stare through me for a second. He quickly shifts his eyes away and glances down at something. Looking back at Daley, he says, "Daley got some leeches on her legs when we tried to find a camp site."

Leeches, eww! My face scrunches up in disgust and he smirks. After a moment, he bends down and picks something up and holds it out to me.

"This yours?" he asks, looking down at me.

I nod and grab it back from him, my grip tightening on my notebook. Not that anyone would understand half the pages if they read them, but the words were still private. Beneath my arm, I feel the spine press against the pencil until I'm sure it's about to snap in two. Once more, the gentle breeze blows past my face, rustling through the trees. Jackson looks at me for a few seconds and then back over at Daley. Following his gaze, I see Daley sprinting back up from the water; the hem of her cream colored shorts wet. Red frizzy hair is flying around her making her bright blue eyes pop.

"Are they gone?" she asks, turning her leg toward us.

Looking down at her leg, I see five large, long grayish-green worms stuck on her pale skin. My stomach knots in several uncomfortable positions as I look away; acid rises in my throat in disgust. For a moment, I feel ready to vomit, my notebook and diary pressed against my chest. A strong hand touches my back.

"You okay?" Jackson asks.

I shake my head and swallow hard, my throat burning. Everything seems blurry and a shiver runs down my spine.

"What the heck am I gonna do?" Daley asks, her voice hovering between panic and anger.

Straightening myself, I see Jackson shrug. He seems at a complete loss as to what to do. My mind races with possible ideas, but I turn away from her leg. I hate large bugs and anything to do with them. For a moment, none of us say anything, while the leeches get fatter with her blood. Daley looks between me and Jackson and groans. Someone's humming to my left and I see Eric walking toward us.

Giving a short wave, he calls, "What's up?"

"I'm getting my blood sucked by little vampire bugs!" Daley cries, throwing up her hands in frustration. Eric wrinkles his nose at her and looks over at me and Jackson. "How'd that happen?" he asks.

I shrug as Jackson answers, "We were looking for a camp site and Daley got ambushed by those leeches."

"It was a perfect spot to make camp!" Daley argues, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, I can see that," Eric says, gesturing to her legs.

Daley glares at him and looks over at me. I bite my tongue gently and shrug.

Rolling her eyes, she says, "Oh. why don't you just come out and say it. You think I'm so stupid. Maybe I should just write all day long and not get into any trouble."

I blink and stare at her, tears prickle at my eyes and I shake my head. The notebook and diary are pressed against my chest, but her words…Man, why is everyone so, so….A single tear rolls down my cheek. Throwing the diary down, I flip open the notebook and begin to write.

"Hey, what's going on, Day?" Lex asks, from my left.

"Nothing," she mutters in annoyance.

I glance over at him and sigh, at least one person isn't annoying as hell. Lex sends me a tiny smile as he comes closer. Glancing down, he pauses and gasps, taking a step back.

"What happened, Day?" he asks, looking from her to the leeches.

"The camp site was really bad. Okay, geez, can you get over it? And…" Taking a deep, calming breath, "Do you know how to get these things off?"

"If Nathan got the fire started, we could use a hot stick to burn them off," Lex explains.

"Yeah, I just checked and Nathan's not doing so well," Eric says, an apologetic look at Daley. The redhead screams in frustration, but Jackson cuts her off. "Can those things do any damage?"

Lex shakes his head. "No, they're just bloodthirsty."

Daley glances down at her leg one more time and sprints off to find Nathan while the rest of us follow. Walking toward Nathan, I hear birds chirp in the distance. Sweat drips down his forehead; his eyes focused on the small pile of leaves and twigs surrounded by small rocks. Rubbing one stick back and forth, he grunts in frustration. My eyebrows rise as I watch him. The sun has already started to lower in the sky and I tap Lex on the shoulder. He turns toward me and I quickly jot down a question. Holding it out away from himself, he squints and looks back at me.

"How long what?" he asks.

I glance over at Nathan and then down at Lex, but he just flips the book back to me. I gulp as my eyes scan the message. _How long_…the rest of the words had faded into nothing. Looking at the pencil, the little stub is mocking me. Great, just great, I think to myself. Folding the book under my arm, I point to Nathan, then both my hands together and slowly stretch them apart. I peer over my shoulder, I point to the sun. Lex stares at me for a few seconds as I repeat the gestures two more times.

A light bulb goes off and Lex says, "Oh, Nathan's been working for about two hours."

"Two hours!? We need fire, now!" Daley cries in frustration.

Nathan's head snaps up to glare at her and then he lowers his eyes back to the wood and mutters, "_Now_ it's important."

I nod as Lex says, "Yeah, kind of."

Daley turns and exposes her leg to him. Nathan makes a face and sighs. "Well, it's not going so well…"

"What's going on?" Taylor asks from behind me.

A large, yellow beach towel covers her shoulders, hiding her bathing suit. Of course, sun bathing. Why would I expect anything else? Her darkening skin contrasts with her bathing suit perfectly. Her thin, straight blonde hair falls over her shoulders, making her seem like an angel as she looks around the group. No one says anything, but Nathan stands up and looks at Jackson. "Maybe you can get it over the top. It's pretty hot," he says, wiping away the sweat from his forehead.

"I got a better way..."

"No, it's gonna work. Trust me," Nathan says with confidence. Jackson looks over at Daley and back at Nathan. Taking the stick, he bends down and begins rubbing it back and forth.

Taylor looks around at everyone and shrugs her shoulders. "What's the big deal? We're not gonna be here when it's dark, right?" she asks, placing her hands on her hips.

"Either way, we need fire, now!" Daley cries.

I cringe at the harshness in her tone as Daley continues barking at everyone. My diary slips from my grasp and lands on the ground with a soft thud. No one pays attention as I kneel down to retrieve it. As I reach for it, something catches my eye. A discarded backpack is lying to the right of Jackson, untouched. I glance over at Nathan and shake my head. Maybe he missed that one, but he said he had been through every piece of camping gear. Leaving the diary on the ground, I begin to walk toward it. But, a hand wraps around my elbow.

"Careful, Melissa, wouldn't want you getting hurt. We don't need any more damage done to you," Eric says, a small, teasing smile spread across his face.

His blue eyes dance with mischief and amusement. I roll my eyes and yank away from his grip and head towards the backpack. No one stops me while I open the zipper and begin to dig through it. Piles of dark clothes, a toothbrush, and a few books line the inside and I sigh. Suddenly, a hand grabs my shoulder and spins me around. The same steely blue eyes glare at me for a moment.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jackson asks softly.

Automatically, my arms shoot up in surrender and I pull away. Maybe I was mistaken. Jackson studies me for a moment, but I turn and walk back over to the other side of the fire pit. From across it, I see Jackson looking through the bag, too, with determination. Lex comes up to me and hands my diary back with a fresh, sharp pencil. He shrugs as I pat his shoulder before he walks off. I flip the notebook open and begin to write.

"Man, can this go any faster?" Daley asks, sitting down sideways on the ground.

Nathan rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "Maybe you would like to try it?" he asks, glaring at her.

"Hey, you don't have bloodthirsty bugs filling up on your blood, Nathan," Daley argues, glaring back at him.

As the bickering continues, I flick my pencil in thought, but it jumps out of my hands and rolls onto the ground. Leaning over, I grab it; my fingers brush against something cold, a small bump in the dirt. Something catches my eye and I look closer. Silver flashes from beneath the dirt, small and rectangular. Quickly, I glance around and grab it; dirt creeping under my fingernails as I do. Brushing the soil off, I see more silver flash in the dim sunlight. A small smile forms on my lips, it's a lighter. I want to examine it closer, but Nathan's voice brings my thoughts back to the present.

"Man, there _has_ to be a better way to do this," Nathan pants, wiping more sweat from his forehead.

I want to laugh as I move over to him, the lighter hidden in my palm. He looks at me and shakes his head. "Not now, Mel. We need to get the fire started…"

"Yeah," Daley whines.

"So, unless you have something to…"

I flick out the lighter and smile at him. Nathan gawks at me and the lighter. A mischievous smile spreads across my face and I hand it to him. Rolling my eyes, I stand up and rip a piece of paper from my notebook.

Crumbling it up, I hand it to Nathan. No one says anything until Eric chuckles. "I didn't know you smoked, Melissa," he says.

I glare at him, but then turn my attention back to the small fire. The yellow and orange flames dance with life while the sun continues to sink in the sky. After a few minutes, Lex smiles as he pokes a long stick into the fire. Daley sits next to him, fear etched onto her face as the stick hovers over the leeches.

"Here, Mel, catch," Nathan calls, tossing the lighter at me.

The cold steel tingles across my fingertips as I twist it over and over, examining it. Small grooves run along the bottom. Turning it over I squint; two initials are carved into it: C J. I glance up and see Jackson walking off to the beach. Grabbing my notebook, diary, and my pencil, I follow him.

The last rays of sunlight flicker over the blue-green water near the empty horizon. Jackson's sitting on the sand just staring out at the sea, lost in his own thoughts. I hesitate for a moment, maybe the lighter isn't his. It could be the captain's for all I know. Taking a deep breath, I walk over, hold the lighter out, and wait. Finally, he looks over at me and nods slightly.

"Thanks," he mutters, taking the lighter from me.

Slowly, I sit down next to him, my notebook and journal lay on my lap as we stare out towards the ocean together for a few minutes. Everything's so calm and peaceful; it's almost easy to forget my nightmare of… the accident and Daley with her harsh words. My grip tightens on my notebook as her words come back to my mind.

Suddenly, Jackson clears his throat and says, "So, I guess Daley was right. You do like to write a lot."

I shrug, flipping open the notebook; the pencil pressed against my lips. Silver sparkles in the dim light as he plays with the lighter in his fingers.

"So…why don't you speak?" he asks, peering at me.

Again, I shrug and jot down a question. Turning it to him, I ask, _Are C J your initials?_

He smirks and nods slightly, as if pleased by something.

_What does the C stand for?_ I ask in a hurry, the light finally fading away.

Jackson doesn't say anything, but stands up, brushing himself off. Darkness has finally surrounded us, but his blue eyes seem to glow through it. Staring down at me a smirk laces his voice as he answers. "You have your secrets and I have mine."

Without another word, he turns and walks further down the beach, leaving me alone. I sigh and jot down, End of Day 2.

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**I hope you enjoy. Please review with as much detail as possible and thanks so much, next chapter should be up soon. I hope you enjoyed. **


	4. Day 3 part 1

**Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy. I own NOTHING except the plot twist. I owe so much to my wonderful BETA and I thank with all my heart. Thanks I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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Rain and more rain pounds against the tent. Even through the sleeping bag, I feel the damp ground beneath me. My fingers trace the edges of my journal, tapping out the rhythm of the thunder. Taylor screams beside me, like a small child, clutching a flashlight against her chest. It seems almost cute, but it's giving me a headache. On the other side of the tent, Daley turns on a light and glances over at us.

Placing a lantern down, she says, "You shouldn't hold that, Taylor."

"Why not?" Taylor asks, looking at her and then at me.

Daley sighs and shakes her head in disbelief. Brushing her hair away from her face, she says, "It's metal and there's lightning. Those two things don't mix."

Taylor looks down at the flashlight and hands it to me. I shake my head and pass it back to her. For a few minutes, we pay hot potato with the flashlight. The storm outside has dissolved into just static in my ears as we continue our little game. Suddenly, Daley jumps in and grabs it away from us; her blue eyes flashing in annoyance. Tucking it under a blanket, she rolls her eyes at us.

"Guys, stop fooling around. Nathan and the others will take advantage of us," she says, staring at us firmly.

Taylor looks at her and wrinkles her nose. "You mean like…_take advantage_ of…"

Daley sighs in frustration. "No, not like _that_, Taylor. That's just disgusting."

"You said it…"

Daley holds up her hand to silence her and rolls her eyes. "I _meant_ that they'll make us do all the work, Taylor," she says.

Lightning flashes, illuminating her bright blue eyes against the darkness. She watches us like a hawk looking over its prey, but she stays perfectly still. A shiver runs down my spine. More rain pounds against the tent and Taylor's shrieks return. I wrap my right arm around her shoulders and rub it up and down her arm. Daley watches the interaction and glances over at me. I shrug. It's not a big deal and Taylor's scared. Turning my head toward her, I feel my left hand drop down to my side; my notebooks sliding down onto the damp ground with a small thud. I sigh and try to pick them up with my right arm still wrapped around Taylor.

Ignoring me, Daley asks, "So was Nathan always this controlling when you dated him, Taylor?"

Taylor shrugs. "Not really, but he was really inflexible and kept talking to me about…"

"'Cause he just seems so…so _infuriating_. I mean, he spent all that time trying to get the fire started and look what happened."

Watching her, my hands start to move in simple gestures. I pointed to Daley and lay my right index finger on my leg, wiggling it around. With my left thumb and index finger, I pull the right finger off. Both Daley and Taylor just stare at me. Neither of them speak for a few minutes, the thunder rolling around outside.

"It got those disgusting bugs off," Taylor pointed out, turning to Daley.

"You mean leeches," Daley corrected sharply.

Taylor shivers slightly and again I wrap my arm around her shoulders. After a moment, she says, "Well, Melissa helped."

Daley shakes her head, dismissing the thought. "Nathan, is such an arrogant and controlling idiot."

I point over to the boy's tent and shake my head. Daley rolls her eyes and begins to rant about Nathan. Sighing, I lay down listening to her and the storm; the combined sound lulling me to sleep.

I squint and blink as my eyes adjust to the sunlight peeking through the tent. Someone had yelled, but the words were lost in my subconscious between sleep and wake. Rubbing my eyes, I crawl out of the tent into the camp site. I sigh in relief as I stand on dry ground. Only the last raindrops from the trees linger from last night's storm. A damp wind blows against my face and for a second I'm glad not to have a mirror. Everyone looks extremely tired, but still, Daley and Nathan are glaring at each other.

Beside me, Taylor pokes me in the ribs and asks, "Did you actually sleep last night?"

I nod and look around the group. Everyone is watching each other through tired eyes, except for Nathan and Daley, who begin to go at it again. Suppressing a yawn, I roll my eyes; their continuous bickering falls on deaf ears. More senseless arguments and that never solve anything. I scan the small crowd; the scream from earlier echoes in my mind, but I still can't place the voice. Lex glances over at me and nods his head to me, a perfect little gentleman. A tiny smile twitches at the corners of my lips as I return the gesture.

"Guys, enough already!" Jackson shouts from my right.

Snapping my head around to him, I see exhaustion and irritation etched on his face as he throws up his arms. For a moment, silence falls around the group, pure and utter silence.

"Jackson, you're not in charge," Nathan says.

"Right, it's the two control freaks," Eric says, looking between Nathan and Daley.

Daley glares at him and turns back to Nathan saying, "Well, I'm the president. Logically, I should be the leader…"

"Oh, by what five votes…"

"Ten, actually," she says, smirking.

Nathan rolls his eyes and glares at her. As they continue to bicker, I duck back into the tent. Grabbing my notebook, I rush back out, but my foot catches the bottom of the tent. Stumbling, the notebook falls onto the ground, my arms fling out, and I crash into someone. I feel them take a few steps back, but two strong arms keep me upright. Quickly, I regain my balance and push away; the faintest heat rushing into my cheeks. Biting my lip, I glance up and see Jackson looking down at me. I put my open hand to my mouth, fingertips to my lips and pull it away slightly, toward him, in gratitude. His brow furrows for a moment, but then he looks away.

"Wow, Jackson. Got a thing for our little Mel?" Eric asks from across the fire pit.

Jackson glares at him, but shifts his attention back to Daley and Nathan. The two have kept going at it the whole time and I shake my head.

Glancing over at Lex, I see his small arms crossed over his chest. "Guys, guys," he says, but they ignore him.

"Guys! Lex has something to say," Jackson shouts, silencing everyone.

Nathan and Daley look between each other and Jackson and mumble something under their breath. Jackson rolls his eyes at them, but motions for Lex to step forward.

"Thanks. Look, guys, we're not gonna solve anything this way," Lex points out.

"Okay, so how _do_ we solve it?" Taylor asks, looking down at him.

Going up to them, I begin to point to each person then mime writing something down on my right palm. Nathan frowns in confusion and Daley just stares at me. I repeat the gesture again, but still no one gets it. Smacking my head in frustration, I go to retrieve my notebook.

Behind me, I hear Eric say, "It's not time for charades, Melissa."

Glancing over my shoulder, I glare at him and jot a single word down in my notebook. Holding it up for everyone to see Lex reads it aloud. "Election," he says slowly.

Nathan and Daley's mouths almost drop open and they begin to protest the idea. "No way, I won..."

"You can't be serious..."

"Really, just stop…"

"You know, I forgot to vote at school," Taylor points out.

Nathan and Daley pause and look over at her and then back at me. Taking a deep breath, Nathan runs his fingers through his hair. His eyes meet mine, but then he turns away, as if angry that I even suggested the idea.

After a few minutes, he says, "Maybe she's right."

Daley looks at me and then back at Nathan; her hands resting on her hips. "Oh come on, Nathan, I won, can we just drop it?"

"No…it's a good idea, Daley. Why not?" Nathan asks, eyeing her curiously.

Daley looks around the group and sighs in frustration. "Fine, we'll take the morning to prove ourselves and…"

"Then we vote on who will be leader. You're on," Nathan says, holding out a hand for her to shake. Daley glances down at it and forms a fist instead and the two bang their knuckles together; the war begins.

Soon, everyone drifts off to their morning routines until only me and Lex are left at the camp site. Lex sits down and stares at the black ash and dampened wood around the fire pit. After a few minutes, I walk over to him and place a hand on his shoulder.

Glancing up at me, he says, "I'm fine…and that was a pretty smart idea."

I smile and sit down beside him.

"So, was Daley giving you as much grief about Nathan as he was about her last night?" he asks, turning to look at me.

I nod and roll my eyes as I smile. Those two really seem so opposite and so alike at the same time; if this was TV they would end up together. Again, I smile and begin to collect wood. For awhile, we just work silently, separating the wet and dry wood.

Clearing his throat, Lex picks up one piece and says, "We can try and dry it in the sun."

I glance over at him and nod. Already, I feel the sun on the nape of my neck, burning it. Suddenly, Daley barks over to us. "Lex, I could use your help."

"Sure, Day, in a sec," Lex answers, piling more wood together.

"Now, Lex!" Daley shouts from the right.

Lex glances over at me and sighs. Dusting himself off, he smears black ash all down his white shirt. He begins to walk over to Daley, but I grab his arm and point down at his shirt. Looking down at it, he realizes he's still in his pajamas. He nods and ducks back into the guys' tent. After a few minutes, he comes back out wearing a fresh red shirt, brown shorts and the familiar blue baseball cap. I smile at him and nod, as though he is asking for my approval.

He starts to walk off, but then over his shoulder calls, "We're gonna need more wood. Maybe you can get some."

He turns halfway around and I nod. Grinning at me, he sprints off to go help his sister. I take a deep breath and look over at our poor job. All the wood is only lumped together in small, rough piles. My eyes squint as I glance up to the sky; a perfectly clear blue sky with the sun hovering in the east. After a moment, I stand up and go get dressed. I dust myself off as I leave the tent, pulling on a dark purple jacket over my white tank top.

An eerie silence hangs over the camp site and I look up and down the area, but no one's there. I shudder; the grip around my jacket tightens as I head to the shore. Along the beach, lots of the sticks are wet from the remaining rain dripping off the trees and the damp ground. Turning around, I take a deep breath and head towards the jungle. At least some of the wood should be good in there.

As I go deeper and deeper into the jungle, I collect dry pieces, tucking them under my arm. Picking up some more, I pause and listen. I hear something in the distance, through the trees. It stops and I shake my head. It must have been a bird or something. I pick up another stick and pause; there it is again, this time longer. It's a slow melody of notes from deep within the jungle.

Taking a step closer to the sound, I close my eyes and listen. The music is hesitant, but slowly grows with confidence the more it's played. I shiver as I look all around me; trees surround me on all sides. If someone had been living out here, the Captain and the others would've known on day one. No one from our little group has come out this far before and Daley and Lex are over at the plane.

A gentle breeze blows against my face, tickling my ear while the sound drifts past, completely free. Listening to it, I feel my right arm fall to my side; the wood tumbling to the ground with a soft thud. The song continues and I close my eyes. Breathing in the soft tune, a tear rolls down my cheek. The last time I heard a melody like that was from my cousin. It seems like the music is coming from the jungle itself. Everything's so quiet and unfamiliar, that music is the only comfort. Gradually, it fades away. I wait a little bit, but it's ceased completely. I take a deep breath and head back to camp; the beautiful melody echoing around in my mind.

By the time I reach the plane, the strange music episode seems like a dream. I scratch my head, trying to make sense of it all. The camping gear is spread out across the sand in small piles with Lex sitting on one of the wings. Walking over to him, I wave just as Daley comes out of the plane. I stop dead in my tracks, but she gives me a small smile.

"Hey, Melissa. Want some water?" she asks, holding out a bottle for me.

I frown in confusion as she walks closer to me; the bottle now held by the tips of her fingers as if I'm a wild animal.

Glancing over at Lex, I try to read his expression, but he looks at his sister. "I thought you wanted to ration the water and the food, Day," he says, hopping off the wing.

"She looks thirsty," Daley says, looking over at him, ignoring me.

I'm completely invisible to her, like the music that played in the jungle. No Mel, stop it, it was your imagination_,_ I scold myself as I take the bottle from her. She nods in satisfaction and turns away to lift another container into the plane.

Lex watches me and asks, "Where's wood, Mel?"

For a moment, the question doesn't even register as my eyes lower to the bottle of water. I curse inwardly; the wood was left back in the woods. Damn, how could I be so stupid? I raise my eyes to his and shrug apologetically. He nods shortly and walks over to me; his arms crossed over his chest. Shifting my eyes away from him, I survey the area and look at the water bottle again.

"It's over there," Lex says, pointing to an open container near the wing.

I walk over and look inside; my eyes widening as I count only ten bottles. Glancing back at Lex, I place the bottle back in the container and hold up my fingers to show ten.

He frowns, but then nods. "Yeah, there are only ten bottles of water," he says.

I nod, but again my mind drifts back into the jungle and the music. Now, down near the ocean, it seems so weird. No, it was just my imagination I scold myself, but that feels false. Lex clears his throat and raises his hands and begins to gesture with random movement. I smile and shake my head. For a moment, he looks hurt, as if I have actually yelled at him.

After a minute, he asks, "Did you get any wood?"

I shrug, but Daley interrupts. "Good idea, Lex, go find some wood." She waves to something behind us. "Jackson, will you go with him?"

"Melissa, can go with me..."

Daley shakes her head. "No, I need her to help me rearrange things in the plane. Go on, Lex, please."

Lex glances between her and me. Sighing, he walks over and talks to Jackson in soft tones. Jackson glances up and glares at Daley before turning away and they head back into the jungle. Daley looks over at me and then quickly turns away ducking back into the plane. I sigh and sit down on the wing; the warm metal feels wonderful against my skin. Closing my eyes, I lean back and allow my thoughts to drift back to the strange melody. All logical explanations seem to be exhausted, it _must_ have been my imagination. Still, that seems wrong. But then, does anything on a deserted island ever make sense? Suddenly, I feel someone watching me. My eyes snap open and I see Daley frowning at me.

"I need your help, Mel," Daley says gently, like she's talking to a four-year old.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes; the last thing I need is to have Daley yell at me even more. So, I just nod. A tiny smile forms on her lips as she pulls me into a sitting position. Only seconds later, she's barking out her orders again. Time moves quickly as I help her collect and organize the camping gear. Daley barely talks to me except to issue more orders or to 'correct' me. Despite the work, my mind still cannot stop playing that distant tune. Something moves behind me and I turn to see Nathan stumbling towards me; his arm wrapped around Jackson's shoulder. I drop the container and run up to them, but Lex grabs my hand.

"It's okay, he's fine. He just…um, had an accident…"

"He fell out of a twenty foot tree," Jackson says, shaking his head at the stupidity of the situation.

Nathan grunts from beside him and pulls away, stumbling back until he gains his balance.

"It was meant to help us. I went to get coconuts," he says, crossing his arms over his chest. Looking at me, his eyes grow wide as he takes a step closer. He reaches up and caresses my face with his fingertips.

"What happened to you? You look exhausted…" his gaze lowers and he gaps, "And what happened to your hands? Did Daley do this?" he asks his eyes hardening as her name leaves his lips.

I shrug and look down at my hands. They're bright red with small indents from carrying containers around. I suppress a yawn, shaking my head, but Nathan heads to the plane; his hands curled in fists. I exchange glances with Lex and Jackson before I jog after Nathan.

"Daley, did you push Melissa too much?" he asks, glaring at Daley.

The red head looks between me and him and rolls her eyes. Nathan glares at her, but I grab his arm and pull him back and shake my head. For a moment, he stares at me and glances back at Daley, but I tug on his arm again.

"So, what do we have here? Mom and Dad having a mid-morning fight?" Eric asks, walking around the base of the plane followed by Taylor.

Nathan glares at him, but turns his attention back to Daley. After a moment, I pull Nathan away and shake my head; his eyes searching mine for an answer. He glances once more over at Daley and sighs.

"Okay, since we're all here. Why not have the election now?" Lex asks and turns to me, "You wanna get some paper for us to vote on?"

I nod and dart off back to camp, glad to get away from the crazy people. Man, this election is gonna be bad. Neither of them can agree on anything. It might actually divide us even further apart and that's not what we need right now. Entering the camp site, I pause as my eyes lock onto the two small wood piles. I forgot the wood back in the jungle. Great, just great.

Grabbing my notebook and pencil, I begin to run back to the plane, but stop and look down. Pieces of wood are littered around. I bend down and begin to collect the drier ones until a tiny stack is piled in my arms. After a few minutes, I go back to the plane and roll my eyes. Daley and Nathan are at it again. I shake my head and slide down next to Lex and hand him my notebook. He glances over at me and rolls his eyes at the two bickering teens.

Leaning toward me he whispers, "You got more wood?"

I nod, but the arguing is increasing. Daley glances over at Nathan and crosses her arms. "Is this the kind of leader you want? Someone who goes off on his own…"

"Or do you want someone who's so wrapped up in rules and making sure that you follow their orders, that they don't care who they hurt in the process?" Nathan says, gesturing toward me.

I sigh, stand up and walk over to them and place my hands on their shoulders, stopping their bickering. I look at both of them and take a deep breath and release it with my arms coming down, letting go of the tension. Nathan and Daley look at me and then follow my example; annoyance on their faces.

Lex walks over to us with seven pieces of paper clutched in his hands. "Okay, let's vote and whoever wins, we need to go with them. Got it?" he says as he hands out the slips of paper to each person.

The rest of the group nods in agreement and waits for the pencil to be passed around. After a few minutes, Lex moved near the end of one of the wings to count the votes. I sit down on the wing and wait patiently while Nathan paces along the beach; wringing his hands nervously. Finally, Lex comes back, but his brow furrows in confusion as he looks over the slips again.

Daley stands up and asks, "So, who's the leader?"

"Um…one person voted for Nathan," Lex says pulling out one slip.

Nathan moans and shakes his head. Daley smiles triumphantly, but Lex says, "Only one person voted for Daley, too, and one person didn't vote for anyone."

"I don't get it, four people didn't vote?" Daley asks.

"No, they did, but…it's confusing…"

"Who's the leader?" Daley and Nathan shout at the same time.

Lex sighs and looks around the group. Taking a deep breath he says, "It's a tie. Our leaders are Jackson and Melissa."

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**Dun, Dun DUN! Kidding :) but will you please review with as much detail as possible, thanks and more coming soon. **I** hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review, thanks **


	5. Day 3 part 2

**Here's my next chapter. I own nothing, but the plot twist and thanks a million to by BETA. I hope you enjoy. **

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** Last time:  
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**"Who's the leader?" Daley and Nathan shout at the same time.**

**Lex sighs and looks around the group. Taking a deep breath he says, "It's a tie. Our leaders are Jackson and Melissa."**

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Silence falls over the whole group. My eyes snap up to watch Lex, but he just smiles at me. Fear crawls down my spine as his words echo in my mind. No, it can't be true. Who would vote for me, it doesn't make any sense. All eyes turn to me and just once I wish I could turn invisible; disappear from all the harsh and shocked stares. I lower my eyes onto my lap as Daley's words cut through the air.

"Jackson and Melissa, the leaders? How the hel... heck is that fair?" she asks, looking between me and Lex.

I shiver, stand up and shake my head. Her words play over and over in my mind. I see Nathan stand up too; his arms cross over his chest. No one else says anything for a moment, but then the protests begin. Their words fall on deaf ears as I look over at Jackson. He's completely still sitting on top of the plane. His head is turned up to the sky and then snaps down to me. Those intense blue eyes bore into me, looking for the answer to an unspoken question.

"How can you be so selfish as to vote for yourself, Melissa?" Eric asks, surveying the group. I glare at him.

Taylor nods in agreement. Daley and Nathan roll their eyes and Lex looks over at me. "She didn't vote for herself," he says.

Eric says, "Then it must have been Daley or Nathan."

No sooner are the words out of his mouth before Daley and Nathan are at each other's throats again. Lex glances over at me and I can only nod, even though the reality still hasn't sunk in yet. I turn to Lex and grab the slips from him and flip through them. Two slips have my name written on them. My breath catches in my throat and I throw the pieces of paper behind me and dart off around the plane. More shouts bounce around the group as I run away.

It must be someone's idea of a sick joke, there's no way someone could truly want me as the leader. Tears cloud my vision and I stumble around and sink into the sand as I try and wipe them away. Someone moves toward me, but pauses and knocks gently on the plane, asking permission. I glance up and see Lex leaning against the plane, waiting. I nod and he slowly walks over to me.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asks softly.

I give him the thumbs up, but he doesn't buy it. Walking over to me, he sits down and just watches me, waiting. Always waiting for me to speak…and how I longed to. Now, with the leader issue, it seems even worse that I can't respond in a normal way. After a minute, I use my index finger to write a message in the sand. When I finish, Lex reads it carefully and smiles slightly.

"Of course, I voted for you, Melissa. You would make a great leader," he says without a hint of joking.

My eyes close for a moment and I smile. He seems to really believe I could lead, well, along with Jackson, but lead, nonetheless. Doubt begins to circle around in my mind, but he presses his hand against mine.

"Look, Melissa, someone stole some of the drinking water and Jackson doesn't want to be the leader either. We need your help," he says, holding my notebook and pencil out to me.

I shrug. There's nothing I can do without Daley and Nathan barking at each other all the time and at me. Lex is still watching me and I turn away. Those large brown eyes plead with me to help and yet my mind shouts no. No, it's not possible for me to lead a group when I can't even speak or get anyone's attention. It wouldn't work at all.

Lex leans in closer and says, "Melissa, we really need you and Jackson, _please_."

His brown eyes lock with mine and I nod, giving him a faint smile. He smiles back at me, but beneath the hope, a hint of pain shows through his eyes. Lex turns to leave, but I grab his arm and force him to look at me. Those brown eyes watch me closely while I jot down a question. 

_What's wrong?_ I ask.

Flipping it toward him, he reads it and shrugs. I look at him skeptically. Why do guys always have to act so brave? Were they just trained to be emotionless people? As if reading my thoughts, Lex looks toward the plane and shakes his head. My grip tightens on his arm and finally he looks at me again. Tears rim his eyes, but he brushes them away. Once more, his eyes drift over to the plane.

"It's Day. She...she yelled at me for not voting for her and I thought she was gonna…hit me," he says quietly as though Daley was right behind him.

His body shakes slightly as I lay the notebook down and pull him into a hug. After a few minutes, Lex pushes me away and shakes his head. I sigh and stare at him in the eyes. My index finger points over to the plane, I shake my head, point again, and try to act scared. Lex stares at me in total confusion. I sigh and jot down something. 

_She didn't mean it, she's probably just scared_, I say, but even those words seem false to me.

Lex reads the message and nods half-heartedly. Looking at me, he asks, "Please can you go talk to her?"

He trails off realizing the word choice. I give him a tiny smile and nod. A large, hopeful smile spreads across his face. I gulp; how can I get the others to listen to me? It seems impossible, but I follow Lex back to the others. At the base of the plane, the yelling is increasing again between Nathan and Daley. I pause to listen and roll my eyes. It's the same stuff as before, don't they ever get over it? Walking up to them, I grip my notebook tighter. As I move closer, Daley whirls around on me, but her eyes are focused on Lex. Her blue eyes flash with anger, but instinctively I step in front of him.

"How could someone vote for a damned voiceless leader? Someone who can't even express themselves?" Daley yells.

I shrug and look down at the water container. Lex was right; bottles, eight bottles are missing. I look over at Daley again, but she was back to barking at Nathan. I roll my eyes and push in between them again. Man, they're getting on my nerves.

"What is it, Melissa?" Nathan asks. I jot down something and turn it to them. FIND SOME_ MORE WATER!_

"Well, you didn't steal them, did you?" Daley asks, eyeing me curiously.

I ignore the comment and point to the message again. Then I point between them, but Nathan backs off.

Holding up his hands in surrender, he says, "No way I'm working with her, I'll go find us some water."

Without another word, he turns and jogs down the beach, away from us. Daley stares after him and sighs. Glancing over at the message again, she rolls her eyes and heads to the jungle.

Lex smiles at me and says, "See, you can do it."

I smile and hug him gently. Now, to find Jackson. I glance at Lex and he just points toward the jungle. Walking into it, I sigh. Daley and Nathan are really infuriating, but now isn't the time to think about them. It doesn't take long for me to find Jackson, but he doesn't even look up at my approach. Silently, I walk over and sit down next to him. Still, he doesn't look at me, his eyes completely focused on sharpening a large stick. Each stroke of the pocket knife seems to grow stronger with irritation.

I gulp and look away for a few minutes. Through the trees, I can still see the bright blue water rolling against the shore and I swallow hard; my mouth completely dry. Why hadn't I taken Daley's offer? From out of the corner of my eye, I catch those blue eyes staring at me. I take a deep breath; my pencil tapping against my notebook. What can I possibly say to him? Can he know that I voted for him? Is it possible that he voted for me?

"Is there something you want?" Jackson asks, cutting into my thoughts.

Nodding my head, I try to jot something down, but I feel his eyes on me. Heat rushes to my cheeks and I glance over at him. He doesn't look away and simply watches me. Biting my lip, I lower my eyes and turn the notebook towards him. Almost at once, he glances down and reads the message without a word. After a moment, he looks up at me and shrugs before continuing to work on the spear. I roll my eyes and jot down another question. 

_Any idea who stole the water?_ I ask.

"Anyone," comes the simple reply.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes as I ask something else. The question has been nagging at me since the votes were counted. Maybe I didn't have to be the leader after all, but I need an answer. 

_Why don't you want to be the leader?_ I ask, holding my breath.

Jackson glances between me and the question for a moment and shakes his head. His knuckles turn white as his grip tightens around the stick and a frown forms on his lips. I shiver as a gentle breeze blows past, but I'm sure it's more than that. Jackson still doesn't look over at me, but something's wrong. Slowly, I reach my hand out; my fingertips brush against his skin, and he pulls away. Those cold blue eyes glare at me with outrage as he pushes me away. Without a word, he stands up and stares down at me, the spear aimed directly at my stomach. Fear pulses through my body as I stare up at him; my eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"Look, I didn't ask to be voted leader, so just drop it. Got it?" he says softly.

I almost wish he had yelled; those soft orders remind me too much of…I shake my head. Jackson rolls his eyes, lowering the spear and begins to walk off again. After a moment, I jump up and follow him quickly. He isn't the only one who doesn't want to be leader. Lex's words and sad face flash through my mind and I quicken my pace. Spinning Jackson around, I glare at him and jot something down.

Turning it to him, I say, _We were voted leaders, that means we have to take the job._

"No, actually we don't," Jackson says, crossing his arms over his chest.

_Look, I can't do this without you_, I say.

Jackson leans in close and glares at me. Our eyes lock and I can't seem to look away. His hot breath warms my cheeks, but his harsh tone chills my body.

"I'm no one's little puppet. I'm no one's spokesperson, and I'm no leader. Understand, Melissa?" he says as he takes a few steps backward with his eyes still locked on mine. I jot down something and walk towards him.

Tapping my pencil against the message, I say, _I mean working together to lead, a co-leadership._

"There's no such thing," he scoffs, rolling his eyes.

I glare at him and write something else down. The lead is already lightening again with each letter. Damn, that's gonna be a problem.

_We can make it work, please try,_ I say, watching him closely. He rolls his eyes and is about to say something, but I cut him off as I write something else down. _What about Lex? He really wants us to be the leaders. And D and N aren't gonna stop fighting. Think about Lex_ I say.

Jackson looks back at me and after a moment his expression softens in agreement and he sits back down on the ground. Biting my lip, I sit next to him.

Staring off into the jungle he says, "Look, I'm sorry, but it's just…I've um…You have to understand that…"

I lay my hand on his arm and he glances over at me as I shake my head. Now isn't the time to explain. We need to concentrate on the present. He looks at me for a few minutes without a word. I feel those eyes watching me, studying me and I glance back over at him. For a few moments we stay that way, just studying each other. His tan body seems to glow against the plain gray t-shirt. The sleeves seem tight on his strong arms and once more I feel heat pulsing through my body. My eyes drift down and land on the spear and I shudder.

As if he can read my mind, he says, "It's okay. We can at least try, right?"

I give him a small smile and nod. Together we set to work trying to come up with the best way for us to survive. The heat of the sun burning the back of my neck is the only sense of time that I have as the two of us work together.

After about two hours, Jackson looks over at me. "So, you really think Daley will be up for looking after the fire?"

I shrug and then shake my head and move my hand like a baseball cap.

"Lex?" Jackson guesses. I shake my head and do it again. Snapping his fingers, he says, "Oh, Eric."

I smile, nodding while I look over the list and pause. No water was mentioned. I shudder, if we didn't find water, the rest won't even matter. Glancing over, I see the sun sinking lower into the sky and rub my stiff neck. Suddenly, I hear distant screams and laughter from down toward the plane. Jackson and I exchange a glance and dart over toward the noise. Reaching the plane, we see a water fight between the others. Confusion sweeps through my mind and questions race just as fast. Lex spots me and calls me over with a large smile on his face.

Jackson clears his throat and shouts, "Guys enough. You're wasting too much water. Enough."

Nathan shakes his head and walks over to us with a huge grin on his face. "No, it's fine. We have enough water, even more than the eight bottles that went missing," he explains.

"Really?" Jackson says eyebrows raised.

Nathan smiles and nods again. The others call out similar responses and continue to have a water fight. After a few seconds, I put my notebook down and run over to join the fun. Questions still nag at the back of my mind, but the fun outweighs them. I glance over my shoulder and I spot Jackson hanging back a bit, away from the crowd, an outcast. Waving my hand, I beckon him forward, but he shakes his head before another blast of water gets dumped over my head. I turn and tackle Lex as he lets out a huge, innocent laugh.

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Later that day, we all sit near the plane with our water bottles filled with clean, warm water. Everything's calm and peaceful; all the tension from earlier vanishes for this moment.

"So, how did you guys find the water?" Taylor asks, lowering her water bottle down in disgust.

Daley and Eric exchange a glance and Daley says, "It was an underground spring."

"So, I guess those leeches were a good thing," Nathan says grinning.

Daley rolls her eyes and takes another sip. No one says anything for a few minutes, they simply enjoy the water and the quiet. Lex snuggles against me and I wrap my arm around him as I take another sip.

"Urh, what about the election, do we have another vote?" Nathan asks uneasily.

I gently push Lex away and stand up just as Jackson reenters the group.

Clearing his throat, he says, "I've got something to say. After working it out with Melissa, we've decided to give it a shot at working together as leaders."

He glances over at me and I nod, smiling. This can work, I know it. Everyone nods in agreement and I walk over to him. I feel Daley's hard gaze boring into me, but she doesn't say anything; her eyes fixed on Jackson. I pause for a moment and sigh. Was Daley not expressing herself because Jackson was around? Did she view him as a protector or barrier for me? I shake my head as Eric calls out to us.

"Okay, how's this gonna work, Chief?" he glances over at me, "And Chieftess."

I roll my eyes as Jackson assigns the list we created together. Everyone seems pleased with their jobs; Daley rationing the food and water, Nathan collecting food, Taylor charging the batteries, Eric boiling and filtering the water.

After a few moments, Taylor asks, "What about you, Melissa, and Lex?"

"My job is making sure it all gets done, Melissa will be getting the water from the well, and Lex will just be thinking of ways to help us get by until rescue comes," Jackson says, glancing over at Lex.

Protests start up around the group, but Jackson calms them with down within seconds. Gesturing to Lex, he says, "Show them."

Lex smiles and darts into the plane only to come out a few minutes later with something in his hand. "Well, I know we all want to go home, but until then, Daley said she missed music so…"

His words fade away from my ears. No, please no music. I love the quiet. For once, my mind isn't filled with the music…the music my cousin made. No silly sounds and voices that sound like garbage, that dares to call itself music. Soon the vibrations fill my body, alive and full, deep within my dead body. If only. The lyrics fill my ears, but they mean nothing to me.

No, not anymore, my soul is silent just like me. Quietly, I slip away from the others and head further down the beach with my notebook and pencil held tight against my chest. I need to get away, away from everything. The sounds from the speakers soon fade into white noise as I sink down into the sand. I blink back tears and flip to a new page and begin jotting down the events of the day. Looking over at the sun, I sigh. End of Day 3.

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**I hope you liked it. Please review with as much detail as possible, thanks so much and more coming soon. **


	6. Day 4

**Here's the next chapter. I'm gonna be gone for a week, so I thought I might update some of my stories. I own nothing but the plot twits. I hope you enjoy. **

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"Hey, Melissa, you coming back? We're having dinner," Lex calls over to me.

I look over and see him beckoning me. Taking one last look at the large, empty ocean I stand up and walk toward him. He smiles at me and runs back to the plane. For a moment, I pause and listen, but no sounds meet my ears. A tiny smile forms at the corners of my lips as I go back to the plane. I shiver as the wind picks up around us. No one says anything as I sit down on the wing next to Lex. Everyone's lost in their own thoughts and my gaze wanders over to Jackson. He's sitting on top of the plane, his favorite spot, with his sharp eyes turned out to the endless ocean. Goosebumps run along my arms, but he seems unaffected by the chilly wind. I bite my lip and force myself to look away; my cheeks already warming up.

"You okay, Melissa?" Lex asks, glancing over at me.

I nod and begin sniffing the air. The scent is faint, but familiar at the same time. I look around and don't see Daley anywhere. Eric sighs and fiddles his fingers together with nothing else to do. Taylor's playing with her hair while Nathan drums his fingers against his legs. Man, this is gonna be a long wait for rescue. If it ever comes…Damn, what is that scent? It's growing stronger and more familiar.

"I hope you're hungry, it's Mac and Cheese," Daley says, coming over with a large tray of seven clear containers filled halfway with yellow noodles.

She hands them out to everyone and no one says anything; all our eyes hungrily staring at the cups in our hands. Without a word, everyone begins to suck the noodles down. After the first bite, I pause. It tastes awful, like plastic, but my stomach keeps growling. I bite my lip and eat up the small meal before me. It seems like only seconds, but the sun has finally set. Darkness surrounds us.

Eric moans and says, "Can't I have seconds?"

"No, the more we eat, the faster it'll go and we need to make it last as long as we can," Daley says.

"I'm starving!" Nathan cries.

I roll my eyes. That's the understatement of the year and he's not the only one. Lex snuggles against me, tired, and I wrap my arm around him. Goosebumps run up and down his arms from the harsh wind. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the moon rising overhead, glittering upon the ocean. That deep, black water is as gloomy as our thoughts. I shake my head and my grip around Lex tightens as I try to keep him warm. Arguing starts to circle around the group, but Jackson clears his throat and everything else stops.

Clapping his hands together, he says, "Okay, look, we have two choices, we either hunt for more food or we can starve."

Even through the darkness, I feel his eyes staring at me and I try to return the gesture. I feel Lex against me, asleep. I smile down at him and then carefully lower him down onto the plane. No one says anything as I move over to where Jackson sits. I hear Daley mutter something under her breath, but I ignore her. Jackson seems to follow me and stares down at me. Despite the darkness, I nod in approval. I hear his feet hit the wing softly as though he knows Lex is asleep.

Quietly, but with the same authority as ever, he declares, "Tomorrow we hunt."

Hopping off the plane, he exits silently, like a ghost. Another gust of wind whips past me and blows through the trees. Gently, I shake Lex, but he still doesn't wake up. I try again, but Daley comes over and picks him up.

"It's time for bed, Lex," she says softly.

Without another word, she carries Lex back to camp. Soon everyone drifts off back to the camp and tents to sleep. For a few minutes, I just lay there listening to the quiet. Questions race through my mind of how to keep the others alive and I'm glad I have Jackson, someone else to share at least one burden with. The same thoughts keep circling through my mind until I drift off to sleep.

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I blink and rub sleep from my eyes. My stomach's growling softly as I follow Daley into the jungle. My notebook is pressed firmly against my chest as I walk gingerly through the soft, leech filled, ground. Daley barely says a word the whole way there and I'm grateful. All around us are bright, fresh trees, but I ignore it all; my stomach knotting as I think back to those leeches. Soon, I hear the faint sound of water pouring out into something. Daley turns around and hands me a large plastic jug and metal funnel.

"Here, fill them and bring them back to the fire pit, got it?" she asks, watching me closely.

I nod and pick the jug up with my left hand.

Daley gives me a thin smile and begins to walk back toward camp.

Snapping her fingers, she turns around and says, "You might want to leave your notebook back at camp, just to keep it safe…and," she takes a step closer, "just 'cause you're the leader doesn't mean you get to boss everyone around."

I just stare at her gritting my teeth in irritation. The redhead pats my shoulder and walks back to camp. Anger rises in my chest and I raise the container and pretend to throw it at her. Can she be any more annoying? I wince as the empty jug bangs against my leg, damn, that hurt. Dropping the container, I sigh. Left alone in the jungle, I almost curse myself for taking this job. My fingers run along the top of my notebook nervously as I stare at the empty jug and funnel lying on the ground and look around. Only the water running into the well breaks the silence that surrounds me.

Closing my eyes, I listen and shiver. Those notes float through my mind, her clear, crisp, soprano rising toward the sky. No, don't think about her, not now, I scold myself as I shake my head. Tears prickle behind my eyes, but I refuse to allow them to fall. I brush them away and fill the first empty jug. My fingers tingle underneath the cool, brown, gritty water as I scoop it up. Pouring it into the container, I feel a few drops of water run over my fingers onto the ground. I take a deep breath and repeat the process six times. Once I'm done, I screw the red cap back on and pick it up along with my notebook and head back to the camp site.

Eric lay staring at the fire, totally content, his straw hat is tipped down, shading his eyes. I roll my eyes and set the jug down by the fire. Startled, Eric jumps up and rubs his eyes.

"What's the deal Melissa? Some of us are trying to work," he says, dusting himself off.

I shake my head and write something down.

Flipping it over, he reads the message and grins. "Well now that I have water, I can do my job," he says, looking at the filled jug. "Just one?" he asks, confused.

I smile and shake my head and point back down the path. Eric follows my finger and grins again. Turning back to me, he asks, "Your boyfriend bringing the rest?"

I shake my head and point to the jug and back at the trail, but Eric ignores me. The fire crackles softly and I look over toward the beach. Jackson had mentioned hunting, no, it was fishing or maybe something else. The whole morning seems to be a complete blur. I have no clue where the others are, but for some reason I'm not worried.

Clearing his throat, Eric says, "Shouldn't you go back and get the other jugs?"

I nod and start to head back, but Eric calls out to me again. "Don't you want to leave that book here?"

I look over my shoulder and shake my head. Even if it means more trips, to leave my notebook would be impossible for me. Over the next two hours I lug these jugs back and forth like, twenty times. I pause and wipe my forehead again. Man, it's getting hot out here. My stomach is killing me and my knees and left arm begin to shake. One more step, one more step…I fall to the ground. The water bouncing around the container echoes in my ears, but I can't seem to move. Footsteps pound the ground as someone rushes up to help me, but my sense of direction seems way off. Am I that close to camp?

"Hey Melissa, you okay? What happened?" Nathan asks, placing his hand against my back.

Where did he come from? My hands scrape against the dirt as I try to push myself up. I feel his arm wrap around mine as he helps me into a sitting position. Everything is foggy and I feel my body sway in place, lightheaded. I try to shake away this feeling, but it just makes the dizziness worse. Nathan rubs his hand in small circles along my back, but his words don't make any sense. I feel him move the water jug away as he moves in closer. I take a few deep breaths and he gradually helps me to my feet wrapping his arm securely around my shoulder.

"I knew Jackson was wrong in making you do this job. It's too much for you," he says, picking up the jug with his other hand.

My fingers reach toward the notebook to open it, but nothing seems to make sense, except that I need food. I feel my notebook slipping from my chest, but I quickly tighten my grip on it. Nathan doesn't say anything until we reach the camp site; only rubbing his hand up and down my arm as if to warm me up.

Pulling away, I look around the camp site. The tents are lined up in the far left corner about three feet from each other. Around the fire pit, six bottles are filled with water while a metal can is set upon a metal rack across the fire to boil water. Eric is still lying down on the ground. I feel Nathan's body tense before he slowly releases me. He walks over and drops the filled jug with a small thud. Automatically, Eric sits up and looks at Nathan, then at me, and back to Nathan.

"What's up?" Eric asks.

"You're being a lazy jerk while Melissa's doing all the hard work. Come on, man, it's not fair to make her lug the water," Nathan says, gesturing toward me.

"Oh come on, it's not that hard…"

"She collapsed, Eric! And really, is that any way for a guy to treat a lady?" Nathan asks, firmly.

Eric opens his mouth to say something, but stops as Jackson enters camp. His arms are crossed over his chest; he looks directly at them, frowning.

"What the hell is going on?" he asks, taking a few steps toward them.

I follow his lead, but pause as another wave of dizziness sweeps over me. My body sways and I quickly sit down on the ground. Nathan looks over at me and concern is etched on his face. I try and nod in reassurance, but something stops me. I can feel tension in the air.

Nathan takes a step forward and says, "Melissa shouldn't be the one lugging the water. She's not strong enough to do it."

"She seems fine with it," Jackson replies glancing over at me.

I feel heat rising in my cheeks again and avert my eyes. His words echo in my mind and I shudder. Had he been spying on me? What gave him the right? Well, he probably did that with everyone, right? My thoughts were interrupted by a shriek as Taylor burst into the camp followed shortly by Daley. Both of them are totally lost in an argument.

"You can't make me do it!" Taylor screams as she marches around the fire pit to stand beside Eric.

"You're barely doing any work Taylor and the batteries don't need to be watched 24/7," Daley says, placing her hands on her hips.

"You're not the boss and I _am_ doing other things."

"Like what?" Daley asks throwing up her arms in disbelief.

Taylor pauses and twirls a piece of blond hair around her finger. Her eyes shift over to Jackson for a second and then quickly turn away to stare into the fire. Daley doesn't seem to be buying it, but at that moment I only want food.

"I…I'm doing other stuff," Taylor says.

Daley rolls her eyes. "Like what, painting your toe nails? We need a latrine and you need to do more work."

"And so does Eric. Melissa's not strong enough to do all that lugging back and forth," Nathan says, taking another step toward Jackson.

"I never asked her to take the job!" Eric exclaims jumping to his feet.

Soon everyone is yelling again. All their voices overlap each other. Everyone is so lost in their arguments that they don't notice Jackson walking towards them.

Standing in between them, he yells, "Enough! Guys this isn't gonna solve anything."

Shaking my head, I stand up and walk over toward the group. The ground spins around me, but I take a deep breath. My fingers tingle as they curl around my notebook. Eric glances over at me and smirks. Jackson snorts in irritation and shakes his head. The others are still arguing, but Nathan walks around and wraps his arm around my shoulders again. I pull away and stumble back, but he catches my elbow keeping me upright.

"Melissa, please just take it easy," he says looking directly at me.

Again, I pull away and shake my head. No one is listening to anyone else and for a moment I wonder what Lex is doing. He seems to be more adult than any of us at times. I smile, but Daley glares at me.

"What's so funny? You barely have anything to do anyway," Daley says, throwing up her hands in frustration.

"That's not fair, Daley. Knock it off," Nathan says.

Daley rolls her eyes. "It's true, Nathan…"

"Is not…"

"Is too…"

"Is not and Melissa shouldn't have to do this work anyway. It's too hard for her," Nathan says, taking a step toward Jackson. "Give her something else to do…"

Daley opens her mouth, but glances back at Jackson and looks away. Again, that odd, unspoken, unasked protection creeps into my mind. What was it about Jackson that makes him my "protector?" He barely even notices me, let alone protects me. Nathan seems to notice this too, because he grits his teeth. Jackson doesn't say anything and rubs his temples as Daley and Taylor start up their arguing.

"Taylor, you have to do this. We need it…"

"My own mother doesn't make me do chores," Taylor retorts.

I roll my eyes and feel my left fingers curling into a fist before I slam the notebook down with a thud. Everyone, except Jackson, jumps and stares at me, confused. No one talks and I cherish the silence as I glare at all of them. Have they all gone mad? Who cares who digs the latrine or lugs the water? Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nathan take a step closer to me, but I hold out my hand to stop him. Crouching down, I sway, close my eyes, and flip open the notebook.

As I write, I hear Jackson say, "Look, we're not gonna solve anything by fighting."

"Well someone has to do it," Daley says.

I roll my eyes and continue to write. I feel Nathan move closer to me, but I ignore him; my pencil is flying across the page. After a few minutes, I flip the notebook over and hand it to Nathan. He glances over at me and then reads it to himself. I slap him on the arm and put my fingers over my mouth and turn them toward the others as my mouth cracks open.

"Wow, Melissa, are you trying to speak?" Eric asks smirking.

"Knock it off, Eric. That's not funny," Nathan reprimands firmly.

Eric snorts, but no one else says anything. Nathan looks over at me and asks, "Are you sure?"

I nod.

Nathan nods and shrugs looking over my message. "She says that Taylor and Daley need to stop fighting and that Taylor does need to dig the latrine."

"I'm not doing it! No one can make me do it. And I've been busy," Taylor says, glancing again over at Jackson.

"Guys look, this really isn't going anywhere," Jackson says, "Taylor just do it, okay?"

"No, this isn't fair," Taylor says, crossing her arms over her chest.

Nathan hands the notebook back to me and stands up dusting himself off. Waving the dirt away, I follow his lead and look over at Jackson. He's staring off back toward the ocean and sighs. Then he shakes his head and walks back to the beach. "I'm gonna go try and get some fish," he calls over his shoulder.

"Why don't you try using some bait?" Nathan calls after him.

Jackson doesn't verbally acknowledge that he even heard the suggestion, but his shoulders tense in more irritation. I take a deep breath and turn back to Daley and Taylor glaring at each other. Pushing my hair back, I jot something down and hand it over for Taylor to read. 

_Taylor, please, can you do this for me_? I ask, giving her a tiny smile.

The blonde shakes her head. "No, Melissa. I really am doing…"

"Oh get over it, Taylor. If you won't do it then you'll just not get anything to eat until you start doing some work," Daley says, crossing her arms over chest.

I glance back over at her and grit my teeth. How dare she give Taylor that kind of choice and Daley wasn't even the leader. I turn Daley around to face me, but she just stares at me. Her blue eyes pierce through me, but I force myself to stare back. What kind of leader would back down from a challenge? Daley rolls her eyes and takes a tiny step towards me, until she is tilting her chin slightly to look down at me.

"Well, if you can get her to do it, then go ahead, you are the leader after all," she says smirking.

I cringe, but glare at her before jotting something down. From the corner of my eye, I see Taylor turn and walk away. My head snaps up and Daley's smirk grows bigger.

Her right hand slips around my shoulders and she whispers, "Use your words, Melissa. Your voice."

I shrug her off and wince as I run after Taylor. Behind me, I hear Nathan reprimanding her, but my only thoughts are on the blond girl. Finally, I catch up to her and turn her around; my eyes pleading with her to understand. Taylor brushes my hand away and sighs in frustration. Placing her hands on her hips, she says, "Look, Melissa. I really am busy with other stuff right now. Please, can't someone else do it?"

I pause and then shake my head, biting my bottom lip. She doesn't even seem to notice and still her eyes look down the beach and then quickly turn back to me. My mind races with some other way to get her to listen. Taylor stares back at me and shakes her head. "I…it's disgusting, Melissa. Can't you do it?" She asks, clasping my right hand in hers.

I sigh and pull my hand away and write something down. Just then Jackson calls over to us. "What's going on?"

Taylor turns around and smiles. "Jackson, can you tell Melissa here that I can't dig that thing?"

Jackson glances over at me and then back to Taylor. Sticking the self made fishing pole into the ground, he says, "If it's such a big deal, why not have someone else do it?"

"That's a good idea. Good luck, Melissa," Taylor says happily.

She turns around, but I grab her arm and turn her around. Neither of them say anything as I quickly try and jot something down.

_Come on Taylor, do you want to prove that Daley's right? You can show her she's wrong, that you'll do it. Please, at least try_, I say.

Taylor reads the message and looks at me. "Will I get some food?" she asks, her voice is like a small child's.

I smile and nod as I close my notebook and wrap my arm around her shoulders. We walk back to camp and she and Daley head off into the jungle without a single word to each other. Eric grins and plops down again next to the fire.

"What did you say to her?" he asks.

I wince and shrug; pressing my notebook against my chest. Nathan rolls his eyes and picks up an empty water jug. He starts to head into the jungle, but I grab him and turn him around. His eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"What is it, Melissa?" he asks.

Flipping the book open, I write, _We all have jobs and yours is to collect the fruit and food._

"Melissa, you don't have to be strong for us. You're not the right one for the job," he says, staring down at me.

Placing my hand on his shoulder, I pull the jug away and smile at him. He grabs my arm, but I pull away and continue to the well. Away from camp, the silence surrounds me for a moment and I smile softly. Finally, everything is peaceful, but Daley's words resound in my ears and I wince. How can she be so cruel? And she only said it when Jackson was gone, did that mean anything? Glancing off to the right, in the direction of the beach, I sigh and continue my journey. I continue my job for the next five hours, stopping every hour to sit with Eric for a few minutes.

Neither of us say anything as we watch the flames dance and listen to them crackle. The orange light reflects against the metal with different patterns just like notes in a song, never the same tune or scales. I shake my head and don't look at the fire again, even on my breaks. After another couple of trips, I hear footsteps coming from out of the jungle along with a chant. I turn and see Daley, Nathan, and Lex coming towards us with a large net of food.

They drop it in front of the fire pit and Daley says, "We bring food from the gods with a message."

I shrug and look at Lex. He glances over at me and smiles. "Let's eat!" he cries as he begins to hand out the food.

Almost at once, Taylor emerges from the other side of the jungle and I bite my lip. She's covered in dirt, mud, and grass. Her golden curls are tangled together and her white blouse is stained with dirt. I wince as she throws down the shovel at Daley's feet.

"I'm done. Can I please have something to eat?" she asks.

Daley pauses and then shrugs. "Yeah, fine."

Lex glances over at me and I just shake my head. He rolls his eyes and hands me a banana. I smile and peel it open. Eric looks down and grabs another piece of fruit up and says, "Yes, food, but we might get tired of just the fruit."

"Not a problem," Jackson says, coming back into the camp site. Four large, silver fish are slung over his shoulder. He sets them down.

"Um, who's gonna clean those?" Lex asks.

We all pause and look around the group. I feel acid rising in my throat as I stare at the dead, scaly fish laying on one of the plastic containers.

No one makes a move to take them, but Daley finally grabs one and asks, "Okay, how do I do this?"

Lex explains and after the fish are cleaned and cooked, we all eat. We gobble down the food until we're too stuffed to move, but it just feels so great. Except that now I'm dying of thirst. Over to the left, I hear Jackson bashing a coconut with a knife as he grunts in frustration. Everyone seems to be too full to speak. We listen to the distant sound of waves breaking against the shore.

My notebook is pressed against my chest as I try and sit up. Today has just been one long fight and yet somehow, it all worked out. I put it down and pull out my journal. Flipping to another blank page, I jot down the events of the day. At the end I pause and look around the group and a tiny smile forms on my lips. End of Day 4

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**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review with as much detail as possible, thanks. More coming soon, I hope. **


	7. Day 5

**Here's the next chapter. I know it's been a while since I last updated, but here is the next chapter. I own NOTHING but the plot. Thanks to Meliriecarna for BETAing this chapter. I hope you enjoy.**

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I kick the sand in frustration before I sit down. My pencil hovers over the page, the eraser pressed against my lips as I stare at the blank sheet. Why is Nathan so annoying? I blink and look back out toward the empty horizon over some large brown rocks. Lex is exploring them with me as his babysitter while the others do their jobs. I remember Nathan's words from this morning and sigh. He took my job with the excuse that I needed rest and the others had agreed with him.

Tapping the pencil against the blank page, I sigh and want to laugh. Nathan acts more like the leader now even without being voted one. My eyes shift farther down the beach where Jackson's trying to fish, without much luck. I take a deep breath and fall back onto the sand. Damn writer's block I think as the pencil rolls off my hand. Looking up at the bright blue sky, I feel the serenity of the beach, away from all the drama.

"Hey, Melissa, you okay?" Lex calls over to me.

Raising myself back onto my elbows, I look at him and shrug. Instantly, he climbs off the rocks and walks up to me. I sit up and sigh.

Lex crosses his legs and asks, "Are you sure? You seem really quiet..." He bites his lip and looks down at the ground, "Sorry, I didn't mean …"

I place a hand on his knee and give him a tiny smile. Why does everyone have to feel sorry? Most don't even know the story, so why the apology? Again, I try and smile as I close the diary, pick up my notebook, and jot down a question.

_So, what are you looking for up on the rocks? _I ask.

"Oh, there are these really cool tide pools, filled with tiny sea creatures to live in small areas. It's so cool. I tried to show Daley once, but she…um, it's not really her thing," Lex explains.

I nod at her name. It seems like there's nothing that she actually enjoys even with her little stepbrother. Though examining those things isn't my thing, I understand that Lex finds it fun. Fun, that word seems almost foreign to me these past few years.

He clears his throat, looks down at the diary, and asks, "So, what were you writing?"

I shake my head and sigh. Lifting my hands, I mime writing and then slap my left hand into my right palm.

Lex's eyebrows raise in surprise and he shakes his head. "I don't get it, Melissa."

I hide a small smile; maybe he's not so smart after all. I repeat the gesture and again he shakes his head.

After a moment he says, "Writing palm, um writing diary?"

I shake my head and repeat the gesture one last time. His eyes are glued on my hands with a thoughtful expression on his face. Slowly, he lifts his own hands and begins to copy my gestures. I watch him carefully and he does it two more times. He frowns slightly then looks up into my eyes.

"You have writer's block?" he asks softly.

I smile and nod. Off to my right, I hear Jackson curse at the fishing pole and I press my lips together in silent laughter.

Lex laughs, too and then asks, "Do you want to help me look for stuff?"

Shaking my head, I point back over to the rocks. He smiles at me, hops up, and returns to his exploration. I smile and look down at my hands, a slight tingle from where Lex had touched them. My fingers trace across my palm; no one has ever done the gesture themselves to understand. They simply expect me to write all my thoughts down or to speak. I look over at him and tap the pencil against the notebook. Lex never stops amazing me. Those large brown eyes are always open with curiosity. My gaze shifts down the beach and I see Jackson lying back down in the sand. Just then, I hear Lex cry out in pain. Automatically, I throw the notebook aside, jump up, and run over to him. The rough rocks scrape against my palms as I jump over to reach Lex. He's knee deep in water and a tiny red mark is on his right knee. I scramble over them and try to lift him out of the water.

My hands immediately begin to run all along his body to check for other injuries and I glance over at Jackson. Cursing inwardly, I wrap my arm around Lex, but he pushes away from me.

Excitement is etched on his face as he holds something out for me to see. "Look, Mel. Isn't it great? It's a clam or an oyster, I think."

I glance over and see Jackson sprinting over to us.

"What happened?" Jackson asks, holding his hand out to help me up.

I look over up at him and shrug.

Jackson studies me and says, "We need to get you two back to camp. Just to be…"

"No, I want to show you guys something, please..."

Jackson pauses and looks down at me. I look back up at him and bite my lip tenderly. I can feel Lex watching me too and finally I nod. His smile grows larger as he scurries up and across the rocks without any help. Jackson releases me and follows Lex without a word. Gradually, I follow them and stare at Lex as he waits patiently for me.

When I get there, he crouches down beside the pool and begins to explain. "I was walking along and I tripped over them, it was just luck really…"

His words fall away from me as I see Jackson looking at me. Those same steel blue eyes accuse him for not watching him more closely. I glare back at him, but he has already turned back to what Lex is pulling out of the water. My eyes shift down and I stare down at a small rock in Lex's hand. It's white with a green and gray tinge around the middle and edges.

Jackson takes it and fiddles around with it and says, "Lex…it's a nice rock, but…"

Lex laughs and rolls his eyes at Jackson's apparent stupidity. "It's not a rock." He picks up another one and cracks it against a rock. "It's clam or an oyster, I don't know which, but it's food," he says, smiling.

I smile back at him and give him a high five. He found more food. Maybe it will be possible to survive and with more than just fruit, dried food, and regular fish. I nearly jump in excitement, but Jackson stops me before I try.

He smirks and asks, "Do you really want to hurt yourself even more?"

My cheeks burn and I quickly try and pull my hair in front. Why am I such a baby? We have more important things to be thinking about. What's wrong with me?

Lex clears his throat and asks, "Melissa, do you think we could use our shirts to carry them back to camp?"

I nod and begin picking up some of the rocks. Jackson and Lex follow my lead and soon we're heading back to camp. No one says anything as we enter the camp. I spot Eric lying on the ground as usual and smile, same old Eric. As we approach him, he sits up and nods in our direction with a small salute to Jackson. His eyebrows furrow in confusion as Lex dumps the oysters onto a plastic bin.

"What the heck are those things?" he asks.

"They're oysters or clams. In other words, food," Lex explains.

Eric stares down at the shells and wrinkles his nose, but a look of hunger passes across his face. He reaches out. Jackson crouches down beside the bin and begins to open one.

"Wait, we need to test those to make sure they're not toxic or anything," Lex says.

Jackson looks over at him and shrugs setting the oyster aside. Off to the right, I hear footsteps coming toward us. I look over and see Nathan coming out of the woods with two jugs filled with water. Sweat drips down his forehead, but the idea of heat seems to leave him when he spots the sea food. Through the silence, I swear I can hear his stomach growling and I smile.

"You gonna stand there all day?" Eric asks.

Nathan blinks and shakes his head. "How…where did you find these?"

Jackson shrugs as I walk up behind Lex and place a hand on his shoulder. Nathan stares at me for a few seconds then glances over at the new source of food.

Dropping the jugs by the fire pit, he asks, "so are we gonna eat?"

"We need to wait until everyone comes back," Jackson says.

Nathan runs his fingers through his hair and nods. He glances over at me and smiles. "Did you enjoy your break?"

I shrug and pick up one of the empty jugs. Instantly, Nathan reaches out, but I shake my head and jog off into the jungle, happy to be doing something active. I don't mind looking after Lex, but still it's nice to do something productive. Daley's words from this morning creep into my thoughts, but I shrug it off, there's nothing I can do about it now. As I walk down the familiar path, I shudder, despite the heat, I can't escape my nightmares. It happened last night and I can still hear my name being screamed in alarm and I try to respond but already I'm lost in darkness. My grip tightens on the jug as it hits my leg, bringing reality back into view.

Already, I hear the flow of water pouring into the well and I take a deep breath. Kneeling down beside it, I allow the cold water to run freely over my hands as a few drops escape the funnel into the container and I screw on the top. Walking back to camp, I can already hear some fight at the fire pit.

"Taylor, that was the deal. We all agreed," Daley says, tossing her hair back over her shoulder.

Everyone is standing in a semi-circle around the fire pit with the oysters or clams piled next to them. From my view, I can't see Taylor's expression, but her voice says it all. "No, I'm not eating that. It's disgusting."

"Come on, it's for science and food," Lex tries to reason with her.

I press my lips together in silent laughter. Science and Taylor just don't seem to go together.

Nathan takes a step toward her saying, "Taylor, it's okay. Just try and think about it like…like"

"Why don't you eat it, Nathan?" Taylor asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

I cock my head to one side and then shake it. Why is there never a moment of silence around here? Jackson was about to say something when Taylor spots me and began waving her arm in a 'come here' gesture.

"Melissa, tell them they can't make me eat that booger!"

"You lost, Taylor," Daley says placing her hands on her hips.

I glance between them and see the oyster that Nathan is holding out for Taylor to take. Staring down at the raw meat inside the shell, I cringe; it really does look like boogers. Again, Taylor shakes her head and pouts like a five year old. Daley opens her mouth, but Jackson grabs the oyster and swallows it whole. No one speaks but all our eyes are locked onto him in shock and possible curiosity. Are the oysters poisonous? Could Jackson die and if so, when?

Clearing his throat, Jackson asks, "So, how long till we know?"

His question seems to be aimed at anyone, but Lex answers. "I think a few hours, at least."

Jackson nods and Lex begins to instruct him like a doctor issuing orders on what he should do. All the others soon drift away from the fire pit. Lex questions Jackson, like every five minutes. I look around and try to find my notebook and diary; my fingers are itching to write. _Damn, where is it?_ I ask myself as I survey the campsite. No one seems to notice as I slip back down to the beach to retrieve my notebook and diary.

The sand feels warm against my fingers as I pick up my books from the ground. Grains of sand rub against my skin as I stare out to the empty horizon. Waves crash against the rocks gently in a steady beat like drums. I glance over and see the empty horizon; my heart sinking in fear. We had found more food, but home was still miles away. How could we be so stupid to think that additional food would solve our most important problem?

Shaking my head, my eyes begin to scan the ground for my notebook and diary. Only a few minutes later, I find them half buried beneath the sand. Dusting the diary off, I flip back to the page I was working on beforehand. Carefully, I tap my pencil against my chin and then continue to write. The words seem to flow onto the page as an image plays out in my mind. It doesn't seem possible, but Jackson and Lex really seem to care about me, at least enough to pay attention to me. I smile as more words form on the page. Images of the two boys who seem to be at least trying to understand me.

My gaze shifts across my fingertips attached to the page, remembering the small tingle of compassion for the little genius as he tried to understand my 'speech'. Hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end as I slam the diary shut, turn around, and spot Jackson only a foot away staring out at the ocean again. He's staring at me and gives a small nod of his head in my direction. Automatically, I return the gesture, but he has already turned away from me. Pressing my lips together, I pick up both my books, walk over, and sit down next to him. Jackson glances over at me, but doesn't say anything; lost in his own thoughts probably. I stare at him and then look back towards camp. Wasn't Lex supposed to keep an eye on him? After a moment, I flip open my notebook and place my pencil to the paper.

"I had to get away for a little. He kept on bugging me and I feel fine," Jackson says quietly. I pause and look at him, my eyes wide. I hadn't even written anything and yet he seemed to be able to read my thoughts. Shaking my head, I write something else down. _You know he only wants to make sure you're ok_, I say, turning the notebook out to him. He glances over at me and then down at the message and shrugs. "I know, but he was driving me crazy. I'm fine."

_Well, how long has it been since you eat them?_ I ask.

Again, he shrugs. "Two hours at most."

My mouth drops open the slightest as I turn to the diary. Turning to last entry, I scan it, all three pages. How was it possible that it had been two hours already? Nothing had ever taken me away from reality like that except for…I shake my head, no point in thinking about it now. Jackson glances over at me, his eyebrows rise in anticipation and surprise. Instantly, I shut my mouth and look away from him. No…why did he have to be like everyone else? Just waiting for me to speak…aren't I good enough as I am? Without a word, Jackson sighs and stands up, brushing the sand off. I look up at him, but still he doesn't say a word to me, and just heads back to camp. I sit there, watching him go, and sigh. Somehow I always seem to push people away from me. Silently, I watch the waves crash against the shore for a few more minutes, my mind blank except for the sound the water.

Reentering camp, I see Jackson crouched down next to the pile of oysters and is beginning to crack them open. Lex is sitting next to him and helps him separating them into more piles on top of other containers. After a moment, Lex spots me and waves me over with a small smile.

"Hey, Melissa, come on over. We can eat them," Lex says, taking another opened shell from Jackson.

I walk over to them; my stomach quietly growling. The raw meat inside looks like rubber white goo…eww! Quickly, I look over at Jackson, but he still doesn't look at me. I take a deep breath and jot down a question, handing the notebook over to Lex. He reads it and shakes his head, tipping his baseball cap up to look at me.

"No, we have to eat them raw otherwise it takes away from the nutrition they can give us," he says.

"Okay gross, but I don't care. I'm hungry," Eric says, from my right, carrying two full jugs of water.

Soon everyone is around the pile of open oysters No one made a sound except for the chewing of the oysters. Swallowing them whole, I barely taste the slimy texture as my stomach unknots as it's filled. Even Taylor, after a little pushing from Jackson, is eating the meat wrapped in seaweed. After about an hour, we drift back to our chores and soon me and Lex are the only ones left.

"So…what did you think? They weren't that bad, right?" he asks.

I look over at him and nod, a small smile forming on my face. Somehow Lex seems to be one of the only two people to get me. Resting my hand over my stomach, I sigh, content. At least we won't go hungry thanks to Lex. Without a word, he starts collecting the left over shells spread around the camp site. For a moment, he looks over at me with those large brown eyes. I bit my lip and nod, placing my notebook and diary aside and begin to help him clean up. We continue for a few more minutes in silence, just comfortable with each other.

"Hey, Melissa, watch this," Lex calls over to me.

I turn and see him tossing an empty shell into another container half away across the camp, hitting the target. A genuine smile forms on my lips as I move over to him. Letting some of shells fall from my hands onto the ground, I pick one up. For a moment I pause and look over at him.

He smiles at me and says, "Go ahead, try it. Just swing your arm back and then try and toss it into that box"

He tosses another one that bounces off the box. Following his example, I toss mine, but it falls short too. Yet, somehow missing it makes me more determined. Soon Lex and I are tossing and laughing at the small little game we created. Celebrating each victory with a high five and increasing the distance between us and the box, while the misses we move closer. It doesn't seem possible, but the time and our dangerous situation seem to be forgotten as our smiles and Lex's laughter grows. Every few minutes, Nathan wonders back with water, but we have enough to let the boiling slide for a few hours. He doesn't say anything to us and for that I'm grateful. Lex and I are having too much fun to pay much attention.

"What the hel...heck is going on?" Daley asks from behind us.

I spin around, my hand about ready to fling another shell, and see a large pile of fresh seaweed draped over her arms. Her fierce blue eyes stare at me and glance over at her step brother with disapproval. Slowly, I lower my arm and stare back at her; my heart beginning to pound in anticipation for an outburst. Rolling her eyes, she sets the seaweed aside and crosses her arms over her chest; her voice struggling to remain calm.

"What were you thinking, Melissa, we don't have time for games. We have to work on staying alive, not just waste and time and energy on stupid games. And you need to get back to collecting water-"

"I thought Nathan was doing that?" Lex asks, taking a tiny step toward Daley.

"Taylor got him to go down with her to the tide pools to collect more oysters, since she now loves it like sushi. Jackson's busy trying to catch fish and I'm collecting more seaweed to eat. And Eric's off being his lazy old self." Her gaze snaps around to me. "And you, you're one the leaders and you're just wasting your time on dumb games…"

Her sharp eyes flicker from me to Lex and back again, but she doesn't say anything else. Lex opens his mouth, but I place a hand on his shoulder and shake my head. Without another word, I stand up and head back to my job. Daley's words run through my mind over and over again as I walk farther into the jungle. My arms already sore from tossing the oysters for the last hour or so. It doesn't make sense, was it wrong to just forget about our problems for a while? I smile as an image of Lex floats through my mind.

He is a great kid. Around me, the wind picks up and I shiver as I kneel down next to the well. The cold water feels so refreshing as I dive my hand into, scooping up it up. Still her words echo in my mind even as I try and shrug them off. Nothing seems to work and that look…that questionable look unnerves me. What did Daley think I did wrong? Gradually, I walk back to camp, silence surrounding me. As I get closer, the silence is broken as Daley's voice floats through the trees. Instinctively, I pause and close my eyes, concentrating on the sound of her voice only a few feet away.

"You can't encourage her, Lex. She needs to toughen up and think about the rest of us and stop acting like a child-"

"Melissa was just-"

"Trying to get out of work, like Taylor? She's so immature sometimes," Daley says, picking up another pile of seaweed.

I glare at her back; tension radiating off of me. How dare she say that? She had no idea what she was talking about. Damn her, she always thinks she knows best…when she's just a kid like us. I turn on my heel and head back to the well with the two full jugs, tears already fighting to escape. Only a few feet away, I hear screams from back at camp. Dropping the jugs, I run back and pause…my heart pounding against my chest. Eric is lying on the ground motionless; all color drained from his face as sweet drips down. Beside him, I notice Jackson and Nathan trying to help get him into the tent. To the right, I see Taylor sway and collapse on the ground while Daley and Lex just seem to stand there. Running up to them, I pull on Daley's shoulder, but she ignores me.

"Not now, Melissa. Lex any ideas on what happened?" Daley asked, brushing her hair behind her shoulder.

"It was probably something he ate," Lex says uncertainly.

Taylor shrieks and brings her knees up to her chest. Her eyes are wide as they look around at the three of us. "Are we gonna die? I mean….we all eat the same things."

I run over to her and wrap my arm around her, trying to soothe her. Nothing will work out if we all panic. My own breathing is shallow; my throat closing up as memories rush past me. Though no one says it, the tension hovers in the air like thick fog.

Seconds later, Nathan pops his head out of the tent. "He's not breathing….Lex we need you."

Lex sprints into the tent without a word as Taylor asks, "What's wrong with Eric, Nathan?"

Nathan lowers his eyes onto the ground and shakes his head. "We don't know…he's sweaty and he's barely responding to us…and I think he has a fever."

As he lists all the symptoms, I remember back to my brother who almost died from an allergic reaction. Quickly, I grab my notebook and dash into the tent. Eric is lying on the sleeping bags with a wet green bandanna placed on his forehead. He keeps mumbling answers to questions that are thrown at him, but I ignore them. Pulling up his gray shirt, I see the light pink hives all across his body. Next to me, I tap Nathan on the shoulder and gesture to Eric's skin. Nathan pales and bats my hand away and calls over to Jackson. "Hey, man…any idea what we do…look at the hives."

Jackson gulps and shakes his head. "I don't even know what it means…any ideas Lex?"

As they try and figure it out, I jot down something in my notebook. The words come out in broken English as I force my hand to steady itself. No one seems to notice me while Nathan is rummaging through the first aid kit.

In frustration, Nathan asks, "What the heck am I looking for?"

Without thinking, I thrust the notebook at him and he reads it, shaking his head. "It doesn't make sense, Mel."

Jackson rolls his eyes and takes the notebook from him. Looking over at me, he reads the message out loud slowly. "Needs a…ant…antihistamines…can be…" his eyes lock on mine for a minute, all color drained from his face. "Can be…fatal."

I nod, but Nathan is already digging through first aid kit again. After a moment, he pulls out a round bottle with a clear cap covering the top. All four of us look at the bottle without a word, fear pulsing through the air. Taking a deep breath, Jackson asks, "So...how does it work?"

I grab back my notebook as Lex explains. "There should be a spring loaded needle with a dose of antihistamines for an allergic reaction like this."

"Then what do we give it to him?" Jackson asks again. My hand trembles as I try to write faster, but Nathan pulls it out of my hands in frustration. "We don't have time for this Melissa."

"Guys…guys, he's passed out," Lex cries, his voice shaking.

My heart pounds against my chest as I glance between Eric and the medicine. Medication and doctors hadn't saved her, but my own fears couldn't hold me back. Each second seems to last for a minute as I watch Eric's face grow paler and paler. Taking a deep breath, I grab the bottle, pull off the top, and raise it up, but Lex grabs my arm.

I glance over at him as he says, "It has to go in his leg."

I nod and shift my aim and jam the needle into his right leg. At contact, the tension seems to have disappeared as we glance over at Eric. Jackson glances over at me and asks, "now what?"

"Now we wait," Lex says softly as he leans back against me.

Slowly, I pull back, take my notebook back, and hold my hand out towards Lex. He takes it gratefully and looks over at Nathan. "When he wakes up, give him these." Lex hands him a small packet, "The adrenaline I don't think lasts long."

Steeping out of the tent, Daley and Taylor glance over at us with wide eyes. Lex takes a step forward and answers their millions of questions as I drift back to the forest. I pause as Lex calls out my name. Turning around, I wait for him to catch up to me, my diary in his hands. He holds it out to me and smiles. I return the gesture and he leans closer to me.

"Forget what Daley said, she doesn't mean it. And I like hanging out with you, Mel," he says quietly.

My eyes close for a moment as a true smile forms on my lips as I ruffle his hair. After a moment, he runs back over and continues to answer more of Taylor's questions. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Daley staring at me and I shudder. Her sharp blue eyes seem to cut right through me, accusing me of something. Shaking my head and flip back to my last entry and continue start another one. My hands are still uneasy as I try and write. By the time Nathan comes out of the tent, sunlight is flickering through the trees, coloring the sky a dull pink.

Taking a deep breath he says, "Eric's okay. Still weak, but he's gonna be fine."

I sigh in relief and jot more stuff down in my diary. Today was one hectic day, but we made it through. I glance over at Jackson and Lex as the two start collecting food for dinner. Both of them really seem to be trying to understand me and Lex's little game was awesome…an escape from the dangers that surround us every moment of the day. Looking back down at the page, I smile. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? End of Day 5.

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**Please review with as much detail as possible thanks. I hope you enjoyed it.**


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